We Compared the Maison Margiela Germany Army Trainers to a Pair of Vintage BW Sport Sneakers

Left: Margiela Line 22; Right: Vintage BW Sport

Retail price: $470, available at masionmargiela.com

Composition: Leather/Suede

Maison Margiela's versions are made from a 100% calf leather upper with gray suede details on the toebox, around the eyelets, heel, tongue label, and side stripe. The sole is pretty substantial and they're really comfortable to get on. The big difference is the slightly padded tongue with a hidden elastic strap underneath, which ensures a snug fit and gives you the option to wear them laceless as a slip-on. Japanese designer Chitose Abe recently revisited this concept for her Air Max 90 Sacai x Nike collaboration.

The suede label on the tongue is Maison Margiela's trademark insignia, a series of numbers denoting the various collections by the fashion house. The circled number on the tag corresponds to which collection it falls under. In this case, it's the number 22, denoting these sneakers as part of Margiela's men's footwear line.

The inner lining is also made of leather, which adds to the luxe appeal. A label on the sole denotes the "replica" status of the sneaker and pays homage to the circa '70s Austrian sneaker that inspired it. It's a nice touch you find on a lot of Maison Margiela's Line 14, a men's collection inspired by sportswear staples like tennis cardigans, blazers, and peak-lapel topcoats. Unlike the more avant-garde Line 10 men's collection, Line 14 skews more towards classic than avant-garde.

Interestingly, the tongue on the BW Sport versions also features a set of numbers. It's not clear what these correlate to, but since they're standard issue, it wouldn't be totally off-base to think they correspond to style number and size. The sole says "BW-Sport 270" which corresponds to the "270" that begins the set of numbers on the tongue, too.

The split-toe detail on these sneakers is also covered in a gray suede, though it definitely doesn't feel as nice as the material on the Margielas.

The soles look pretty much the same, but up close you can really tell the difference. The Margielas have a more classic, sap-like gum color and feel, while the BW-Sport versions are a darker brown and feel less responsive. There's also the aforementioned "BW-Sport 270" on the sole, but the fact that they have the same pivot points on the soles is really interesting.

The vintage BW-Sport sneakers are decidedly a bit leaner than the Margielas, due to its lack of lining. They're more breathable at the cost of being less comfortable. I wore both for a few days each to test out the comfort, and the Margiela versions undoubtedly have the vintage ones beat.

The padded sole, elastic tongue strap, and leather lining just feel better than the minimal cotton lining on the BW-Sport versions. Also, even though I had threaded the laces through the tongue, there was still noticeable slip with each wear—which as most sneakerheads know, is super annoying.

Final verdict: Definitely not a bad pickup for the price. Ideal for the types of dudes who are down to "get the look" but can't really drop a lot of dough on the designer versions. They're definitely adequate if you just want to fill a gap in your minimal shoe collection and are adamant that you need at least one pair of white GATs. As a summer shoe, you can't go wrong for the price, but if you're expecting to wear these in super cold weather, you'd better get extra thick socks.

Final verdict: Yup, they're expensive, but these are a shoe you cop once and keep forever. I think if you're on the fence about saving up, they're one of the few "investment pieces" that actually are worth it in terms of cost-per-wear. The sheer versatility of a minimal white low top with a gum sole far outweighs any hyped release. As far as silent killers go, the Margiela GAT is like a neck-breaker for a certain subset of elevated sneakerheads. They communicate a different taste level while to outsiders, just look good.

If the price point is turning you off, patience is the key. If you look hard enough, you're bound to come across a gently-used pair for a good price, or may be lucky enough to cop them at a discount. Or if you're fortunate enough to be traveling to Europe in the near future, the Euro's current conversion rate is in the dollar's favor, so copping them for retail overseas and getting the VAT refund on your way back actually puts these more in the ballpark of $250, which isn't bad at all.