BW Army
The adidas BW Army is the reissue of the German Army Trainer: a low sneaker in white or black leather with suede overlays and a gum sole. The letters BW stand for Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, which used this shoe as a training shoe in the 1970s. Thanks to its plain, almost logo-free look, the BW Army is a popular alternative to the better-known terrace models.
The history of the adidas BW Army
From the 1970s, German soldiers wore a simple, sturdy training shoe for sport and indoor exercises. After the end of the Cold War the army shrank, and large stocks of unworn pairs ended up in army surplus stores across Europe. There the shoe, often called the German Army Trainer in English, gained cult status.
Fashion picked it up as well. Maison Margiela showed refurbished army trainers in its spring/summer 1999 show, and the design lives on in that house’s well-known Replica sneaker. adidas now releases the original as the BW Army in its Originals line, with new materials and collaborations with labels such as Hartcopy.
Design and materials
The BW Army sticks to the original recipe. The upper is leather, with suede overlays on the toe, along the laces and at the heel. What stands out is what is missing: no three stripes on the side, just like the army version. Underneath is a flat gum sole, and on top a long tongue.
The BW Army Lux is a more premium version with higher-grade materials. There are also patent leather versions and ‘Decon’ editions with a deconstructed, looser build.
Popular adidas BW Army colorways
The BW Army is all about calm base colours and gum soles. These are currently the most viewed pairs on WOOVIN:
- BW Army Lux ‘Black Gum’: all black with a brown gum sole.
- BW Army ‘Dark Brown Night Brown’: two shades of dark brown, tone on tone.
- BW Army ‘Chalk White’: chalk white with light grey details and a gum sole.
- BW Army Lux ‘White Gum’: white on white, with the classic gum sole of the army trainer.
- BW Army ‘Silver Pebble’: soft grey with brown accents.
What is the difference between the BW Army and the Samba?
At first glance they look alike: both are low, with a suede T-toe and a gum sole. The adidas Samba, however, has three stripes and gold lettering on the side, and fits narrow. The BW Army looks plainer, without stripes, and has a slightly fuller shape and a longer tongue. If you want an all-suede alternative, look at the adidas Gazelle or the Handball Spezial.
How does the adidas BW Army fit?
According to adidas, the BW Army fits true to size, so you can order your usual adidas size. It is on the narrow side, though, and feels a little tight around the toes when new, but the leather gives slightly after a few wears. With narrow or regular feet, stay with your own size. If you have wide feet or a high instep, go half a size up.
Buy the adidas BW Army at WOOVIN
On WOOVIN you will find the BW Army, the BW Army Lux and collaborations such as Hartcopy, in black, white, brown and grey. If you want to stay as close as possible to the original army trainer, choose white leather with a gum sole. For a more refined finish on the same silhouette, choose the Lux.
