A Closer Look | Sculpture Trainer

Introducing An Irrational Element’s first season of footwear with the Sculpture Trainer. The silhouette is a classic GAT (German Army Trainer) model that has been re-sculptured by An Irrational Element.

On a product level the aim was to manufacture a stylish all-round trainer that could take a hit. In 2020 I pre-tested the Sculpture Trainer. The conclusion? They ended up being my most worn shoe and I took them out for about anything: hiking, skateboarding, biking, citytrips, you name it and I wore them. The pair I own is the full leather off-white Sculpture Trainer, neutral, and therefore applicable for a wide range of outfits. One more feature I would like to highlight is how comfortable this shoe felt right from the bat and obviously all feet are different so you might have a different experience. But the trainer feels soft, that’s for sure.

Then, there is the conceptual part which also explains why the trainer is called the Sculpture Trainer. When laying eyes on an original GAT, I perceived that most lines are linear and that there are some triangles. This is something I wanted to remove from the trainer. I wanted to implement elements of the sculpturing discipline into the trainer. Observing sculptors as Brancusi (which we highlighted in our journal segment ‘exploring’), Noguchi, Esherick and others, gave the inspiration to reimagine the GAT trainer by giving its appearance a natural flow.

The Sculpture Trainer is stripped from the GAT’s geometric ornamental elements. Instead it is sculptured into a trainer which is firm without a straight line or edge in its patches. They’re curved, and nonchalant, hence the trainer being suitable for different styles and individuals. The implemented patches serve as a reinforcing function for casual and playful use whilst giving a nod to shapes established in the art of sculpting.

Manufactured in Slovakia in a factory that is well renowned for its trainer production for decades. The uppers and footbed are made of either Italian bovine leather, suede or a combination of the two depending on the colorway. For the Collection 008 release, all trainers feature a base layer of off-white leather. A total of 5 colorways range in the color accents of: beige, chocolate, navy, orange and off-white.

You can find the trainer in our webshop and at select retailers worldwide.