# The Best Margiela GAT Alternatives: German Army Trainers for Less > The house called it Replica for a reason. Here is who else reproduces it well. - Canonical: https://luxe.digital/style/margiela-gats-alternatives/ - Author: Editorial Team (https://luxe.digital/author/editorial-team/) - Published: 2026-11-12 - Publisher: Luxe Digital (https://luxe.digital/) - Cite as: Luxe Digital, "The Best Margiela GAT Alternatives: German Army Trainers for Less", https://luxe.digital/style/margiela-gats-alternatives/ - AI-use policy: https://luxe.digital/ai-policy.txt What started out as a simple training shoe for German soldiers in the 1970s became a global sensation when Maison Margiela started selling a replica for $850. While we love the look and the historical homage, we think you should shop around if you have your mind set on a fresh new pair of GATs. Margiela themselves named their entire collection the Replica, so we think it's fair to consider other great options inspired by the old school German Army Trainers. Especially since some of our picks are much more comfortable to wear or offer a more modern twist with edgy interpretation of the classic design. Ready to find your next favorite sneakers at a fraction of what Maison Margiela charges? Scroll down to see our absolute favorite Margiela GAT alternatives! ## What makes a GAT a GAT? A German army trainer has four signatures: a white leather upper, a gray or off-white suede toe, a small side overlay and a gum sole. Those four are the test for every pair below. The shoe began as an indoor training shoe for the West German army. adidas and Puma both made it, and each has claimed the design. Margiela credits a different source on its own product page: Austrian sports shoes from the seventies. The white Replica is nappa leather and suede on a honey sole, made in Italy, for $850. If it's a plain white low-top you want rather than the GAT, our [Common Projects alternatives](/style/common-projects-alternatives/) cover the Achilles instead, and our guide to the [best luxury sneakers for men](/style/best-men-luxury-sneakers/) ranks the wider designer field. ## The best Margiela GAT alternatives Here are the German army trainers that capture the Replica best. ### 1. Amberjack The GAT: All four signatures, made in Portugal | Upper: | Full-grain leather, water-repellent suede | | --- | --- | | Sole: | Flexible rubber, gum | | Made in: | Portugal | | Colors: | Ivory, Cobalt, Obsidian | | Price: | $179 | Amberjack The GAT ticks every box on the list: a white full-grain leather upper, a gray suede toe and side overlay, and a gum sole. It's designed in Brooklyn and made in Portugal, and you can shop [Amberjack The GAT in Ivory, Cobalt or Obsidian](https://luxe.digital/loves/amberjack-gat/) on Amberjack's own site. It's the most comfortable German army trainer we've tried. A padded collar and a foam tongue soften the step-in. The removable insole is heat-activated, so it molds to your foot as you walk, and the rubber outsole flexes with every step. The one thing to know is the fit. It runs snug and narrow and sits close to the ground, with an almost barefoot feel. We've tested the GAT ourselves; read [our hands-on Amberjack sneakers review](/style/amberjack-sneakers-review/#the-gat-the-retro-style-sneaker) to see how it held up. **Best for:** The man who wants the whole GAT look in a sneaker he'll reach for every day. **Price against the Replica:** $179 versus $850.

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### 2. Quince Lifestyle Trainer: Italian leather and suede for under $100 | Upper: | Italian cowhide and suede, lambskin lining | | --- | --- | | Sole: | Gum | | Colors: | White, Lichen, Black | | Price: | $95 (originally $179) | Quince says its trainer is rooted in the German army trainer silhouette, and the White pair shows it. A white leather upper, a light gray suede toe and side overlay and a gum-colored sole make four out of four. You'll find the [Quince Italian Leather & Suede Lifestyle Trainer among Quince's men's sneakers](https://luxe.digital/loves/quince-men-sneakers/). It's built from Italian cowhide and Italian suede over a soft lambskin lining. The White pair sells out in some sizes, so if yours is gone, Lichen and Black come in the same shoe. **Best for:** Anyone who wants Italian leather and suede and a GAT for under $100. **Price against the Replica:** $95 (originally $179) versus $850.

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### 3. adidas BW Army: The trainer adidas says it made first | Upper: | White leather, gray suede toe | | --- | --- | | Sole: | Gum | | Colors: | Cloud White/Gum, 15 styles in the line | | Price: | $120 | This one comes from a maker with a claim to the original. adidas says it made the army's "BW Sport", and the BW Army is its military-inspired take, with minimal branding, a streamlined toe and a low profile. Shop the [adidas BW Army on adidas.com](https://luxe.digital/loves/adidas/). The Cloud White/Gum pair has a white leather upper, a light gray suede toe and a gum sole. Its side strips are white leather rather than gray suede, so from the side it reads cleaner than the Replica. The line runs to 15 styles, most of them at $120. **Best for:** The man who likes his sneakers with a piece of history. **Price against the Replica:** $120 versus $850.

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### 4. Axel Arigato Dice T-Toe: A suede toe and gum sole, minus the side strip | Upper: | Leather, suede and polyester | | --- | --- | | Sole: | Gum | | Colors: | White/Gum | | Price: | $360 | Axel Arigato doesn't sell the Dice T-Toe as a German army trainer. It says the shoe nods to 1970s track and field runners and 1990s skate shoes, yet the White/Gum pair carries three GAT signatures: a white leather upper, a gray suede toe and a gum sole. Look for the [Dice T-Toe in Axel Arigato's men's footwear](https://luxe.digital/loves/axel-arigato-mens-footwear/). It has no GAT side strip, so it's a cousin of the Replica rather than a twin. The uppers are handcrafted from leather, suede and polyester. **Best for:** Designer-label fans who can live without the side strip. **Price against the Replica:** $360 versus $850.

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### 5. Steve Madden Dixon: The GAT look for $99.99 | Upper: | Faux suede, cotton lining | | --- | --- | | Sole: | Gum rubber | | Colors: | White Leather, Black Leather | | Price: | $99.99 | The [Steve Madden Dixon](https://luxe.digital/loves/steve-madden-dixon/) puts the GAT shape within easy reach, in White Leather or Black Leather. The White Leather pair has an off-white leather upper, a light gray suede-look toe cap and side strip, and a gum sole, in sizes 7.5 to 13. Its listing gives a faux suede upper, a cotton lining, an EVA insole and a rubber outsole, and says it fits true to size. The faux suede is the trade-off against the real suede on the pairs above. **Best for:** A newcomer trying the GAT look before he spends more. **Price against the Replica:** $99.99 versus $850.

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## How these German army trainers compare Here is every pair side by side with the Replica. | Shoe | Price | Upper | Sole | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Maison Margiela Replica | $850 | Nappa leather and suede, made in Italy | Honey | | Amberjack The GAT | $179 | Full-grain leather, water-repellent suede, made in Portugal | Gum rubber | | Quince Italian Leather & Suede Lifestyle Trainer | $95 (originally $179) | Italian cowhide and suede | Gum | | adidas BW Army | $120 | Leather, suede toe | Gum | | Axel Arigato Dice T-Toe | $360 | Leather, suede and polyester | Gum | | Steve Madden Dixon | $99.99 | Faux suede | Gum rubber | ## Dupe, replica or alternative: what are you buying? Every shoe on this page is sold under its own maker's name. The GAT shape has been made by adidas, Puma and Margiela, and brands like Amberjack and Quince make it today under theirs. A shoe sold as a Margiela at a fraction of the Margiela price is a counterfeit, and that's a different purchase altogether. ## Or buy the Replica If only the original will do, find the [Maison Margiela Replica in the men's Maison Margiela edit](https://luxe.digital/loves/maison-margiela-men/) at $850. You get white nappa leather and suede on a honey sole, made in Italy, from the house that put the word replica on the label. Our [guide to the Maison Margiela brand](/brands/maison-margiela/) tells the rest of the story.

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## Frequently asked questions ### Why are Margiela GATs so expensive? You pay for the house as well as the shoe. The white Replica costs $850 in nappa leather and suede on a honey sole, and it's made in Italy. Amberjack's GAT uses full-grain leather and water-repellent suede, made in Portugal, for $179, and Quince's trainer uses Italian cowhide and Italian suede for $95. ### What are Margiela GATs? GATs, short for German army trainers, are Maison Margiela's Replica sneakers: a white leather upper, a gray suede toe, a small side overlay and a gum sole. The shape started as an indoor training shoe for the German army, and Margiela's own page says its version was inspired by Austrian sports shoes from the seventies. ### How much do Margiela GATs cost? The white Replica costs $850 on Maison Margiela's US site. Every alternative on this page costs less: Amberjack The GAT is $179, the adidas BW Army $120, the Steve Madden Dixon $99.99, the Quince trainer $95 (originally $179) and the Axel Arigato Dice T-Toe $360. ### Are GATs still cool? We think so. The GAT went from army training to fashion staple, Margiela still sells the Replica at $850, and adidas lists 15 styles of its BW Army. Amberjack and Quince both make their own pair, so you can wear the look at a fair price. ## Related on Luxe Digital - [Amberjack Sneakers Review: The Dress Shoe Brand That Learned To Relax](https://luxe.digital/style/amberjack-sneakers-review/) - [Common Projects Alternatives: 9 Sneakers Worth Buying Instead](https://luxe.digital/style/common-projects-alternatives/) - [The 6 Best Sneakers For Men: Master The Casual Look](https://luxe.digital/style/best-men-luxury-sneakers/) ## Where to buy - [Amberjack The GAT](https://luxe.digital/loves/amberjack-gat/) - [Quince Lifestyle Trainer](https://luxe.digital/loves/quince-men-sneakers/) - [adidas BW Army](https://luxe.digital/loves/adidas/)