Yes, Steve Madden’s Margiela Replica Lookalike Is Also a Copycat

Every so often, the German Army Trainer (GAT) makes its way back into mainstream sneaker culture, and the latest example of that is Steve Madden's new Dixin sneaker.

The Steve Madden Dixin was released sometime this year but started to circulate on social media this week with fans calling out the silhouette as a copycat and a cheaper alternative to the Maison Margiela Replica, as seen in the tweet below. On the contrary, the Replica is in fact inspired by the aforementioned German Army Trainer.

Most of the discussion online appears to be centered around fans trying to wrap their heads around Steve Madden directly ripping off the Maison Margiela Replica. X user @blackholecum points out that Margiela's version features noticeable updates from the original GAT, and Steve Madden's take appears to be a direct ripoff of the those. (More reactions from fans trying to dissect the Dixin sneaker appear in the tweets below.)

The German Army Trainer has been around since the '70s and was designed to be a standard-issue sneaker for those serving in Germany's armed forces. Both Adolph and Rudolph Dassler, who founded Adidas and Puma, respectively, are credited with designing versions of the silhouette, but it's unclear which of the two Dassler brothers actually designed the sneaker.

Maison Margiela first released its GAT-inspired Replica sneaker in the late '90s and it's become a mainstay of the luxury fashion brand since. Many other brands have released their own variation of the GAT, including Adidas with its current BW Army.

While prices for the Maison Margiela Replica start at a whopping $670, Steve Madden's Dixin shoe retails for $99.95.