The military trainer in menswear

Jul 17, 2019

When people think of a classic sneaker, the military isn’t the first thing that comes into mind. Usually a tennis or basketball shoe is where the mind is drawn to but that isn’t the case with this particular sneaker. With its utilitarian heritage with the German military in the 1970’s, this trainer was destined to feel good but also come back from military training and retire as a lifestyle sneaker that’s silhouette would fall in the menswear hall of fame for plenty years to come. It’s called a “ German Military Trainer” because of its origin but with the brand I’m writing about, Beckett & Simonon call this icon of a shoe: the Morgen.

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The Morgen has a full grain leather upper, is water-resistant for their suede detailing, and a flexible rubber sole that completes this shoe’s comfortability and look. This is a handmade shoe that’s created in small batches and has an impressive sticker price of $200. That’s extremely fair for the craftsmanship and quality you’re receiving in comparison to their much more expensive counter parts. For example, Maison Margiela has their GAT priced at a hefty $485. That’s more than double you’re paying for the same silhouette!

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So, how can they create such low prices and still manage to make a profit? There’s a few variables that make this price a possibility; they’re strictly online which micro manages how many pairs of shoes can be made, no cost for over head, or boutique rental charges. This way, they’re still able to keep an intimate work space, and keep quality control to the highest standards. This company strives off of customer service and creating a reputable product that doesn’t break the bank!

Now back to the shoe, with a sneaker this classic and clean, there are multiple ways to have this be an elevation piece. Something that’ll be the final touch that can dress up a plain pair of black chinos and black t-shirt or be done with a full suit. Pairing this shoe with a suit is a gentle approach to tone down something as strong as a suit. A suit can tend to be a little aggressive for certain places or events so wearing a clean sneaker will dress it down a bit making your “strait from work” suit a great outfit for any occasion and FAR more comfortable than wearing regular dress shoes. I’m personally a fan of high contrasting colors so having a bright white sneaker equipped with a full black outfit lets the sneaker speak out a bit and adding balance to the outfit. It’s creating some class without seeming like you’re trying to hard. A plain T will always be picked over any shirt in my closet, especially when I’m feeling extra lazy but with a little styling, I could make this plain T look like a 6 page spread worthy outfit in GQ.

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After this whole explanation, I hope what you took out of it is super lux doesn’t always need to be attached to a super lux price tag and you should go scouting for these brands that want to delivery a quality product that have figured out a way for you to look nice and save the money for your pockets.