Update: After months of anticipation, Hartcopy has announced that its adidas BW Army is now available for online orders in Europe and the UK. While a gloval release date is not yet available, the page said "the BW Army will become available at a number of retailers globally next week," in its recent Instagram post.Hartcopy released a small run of the sneakers in mid-February this year, but have been relatively quiet about the next restock until now.
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Update: Following its well-received tease, Hartcopy co-owners Timothy Suen and Sam Le Roy have shared a closer look at their upcoming BW Army silhouette, produced in collaboration with adidas -- as well as a few exclusive details on what to expect from the release.
In a conversation with Hypebeast, Le Roy explained that the collaboration came together almost as if it was fated, with one spontaneous encounter with a contact named Hugo in London a few years ago leading to several others that would see the concept accelerated to the right teams.
As for the design, Le Roy shared that "We wanted to conserve the German Army Trainer (GAT) classic form, not deviating from the gummy sole and two-tone uppers in any way. The only tweaks we made were to pull away the typical suede T-toe, instead of pushing nubuck onto the panel. Originally we spoke about more exotic materials like wools, but the end result was a really buttery Nubuck that I’m in love with. On top of this, we placed some asymmetric Hartcopy branding on the left and right feet for a nice personal touch."
Le Roy further expressed that the shoe ties into what Hartcopy is all about and that it exemplifies its mission of providing context to footwear products, new and old. He shared that the GAT is a silhouette "with such rich history that’s very often overlooked. We hear a lot about Replicas, but the fact is that this collaboration with Adidas showcases the real, original, GAT."
Looking forward, he added that Hartcopy aims to take on the role of a culture catalogue, while also contributing and developing that culture through product launches, activations and more.
As for the release of the Hartcopy x adidas BW Army, Le Roy didn't share much detail on price or drop mechanisms but teased that "The shoes will be launching in March and they’ll be free to lucky people around the world."
Of the few silhouettes that have stood the test of time, the GAT is unique in how many brands have created their own rendition of it. While Maison Margiela's Replica Sneaker is the one best known in fashion circles -- spawning countless derivatives -- adidashas also channeled its German heritage with the BW Army. Often serving as a regional release, the BW Army hasn't been made as available as other retro staples such as the Samba, however, it looks to be gearing up for a new moment in the spotlight courtesy of Hartcopy.
Taking to Instagram this week, the sneaker storytellers behind Hartcopy -- co-founders Timothy Suen and Sam Le Roy -- revealed their collaborative take on adidas' BW Army. Maintaining the silhouette's traditional white leather upper, the toe overlay sticks to leather rather than suede with the slightest hint of gray present both there and at the heel. With the midfoot of the right shoe's lateral, a red squiggly line is embroidered, serving as a nod to Hartcopy's logo which can be spotted at the sockliner. As for the left shoe, it sports the same line next to the toe overlay at the lateral. In typical GAT fashion, the sneaker is supported by a gum sole that sports adidas Originals branding towards the heel.
At the time of writing, neither Hartcopy nor adidas have disclosed release details pertaining to their team-up on the BW Army. Stay tuned for updates, including a complete breakdown of the story and its detailing as it's likely to arrive from both the Hartcopy web store and adidas in the coming months.
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