Adidas BW Army review

The Adidas BW Army feels like a breath of fresh air if:

• you are tired of being a walking billboard for brand logos and want a clean and truly minimalist silhouette*
• you need a leather sneaker to match business casual or semi-formal attires
• you have narrower feet or prefer close-fitting shoes

*Fun fact: There are no traditional Three Stripes or standout branding because the shoe was originally designed exclusively for the military.

The slim fit of this Adidas sneaker shrinks its target audience quite a bit. Unfortunately, Adidas doesn't offer similar-looking models with a more relaxed fit, but you can find a little more wiggle room in sporty shoes like the Adidas Campus 00s and the Adidas Forum Low.

And if you want something airier, lighter, and more summer-ready, take a look at the Adidas SL 72.

The shoe's low, Samba-like profile doesn't promise much cushioning for all-day wear. And our shock absorption test backs it up with a lower-end measurement of 66 SA in the heel.

Curiously, the BW Army has a touch more underfoot comfort than the Adidas Samba (47 SA), Handball Spezial (50 SA), and Gazelle (51 SA) because it features a slab of EVA foam rather than plain rubber soles of these silhouettes.

But is it enough for walking and standing all day? No.

The BW Army's ride feels entirely flat on the walk, but it is expected from a minimalist shoe like this.

With an extremely low heel stack of 20.7 mm, the BW Army has one of the lowest profiles among Adidas trainers.

And it tapers down to half that in the forefoot, where our caliper recorded merely 10.3 mm of stack! This is not a shoe for people with a ball-of-foot pain or toe joint concerns.

The difference between the heel and the forefoot, therefore, comes to 10.4 mm, which is a standard offset for trainers, familiar to most people's feet.

But just because there is foam under the heel doesn't mean it's the plush kind.

The shoe's midsole material proved to be hardly compressible with a very firm durometer reading of 58.5 AC.

Our on-foot testing immediately confirmed that the BW Army's streamlined silhouette is matched by an equally narrow fit.

This was confirmed when we removed a solidified cast of the shoe's interior and measured its width with a digital calliper. At 91.0 mm in the ball-of-foot area, it falls between narrow and medium fit, catering to people with slimmer feet.

The toebox of this Adidas kick proved equally snug, measuring a moderate width of 67.1 mm at the big toe.

However, vertical space shouldn't be a concern in the BW Army, as we measured its toebox height at a standard 27.3 mm.

That signature T-toe overlay didn't feel restricting when wiggling our toes.

As more of a spring/fall sneaker, we were particularly curious whether the Adidas BW Army can be trusted on a rainy day. And our traction test confirmed that it indeed can be!

The shoe's outsole exhibited strong friction on a wet concrete slab, showing a high CoF of 0.65. That makes it a high-friction outsole for both dry and wet urban surfaces.

Adidas didn't reinvent the wheel here, opting for a gum rubber outsole with a retro traction pattern: wavy, multi-directional lugs in the heel and several pivot points in the forefoot. The overall design is identical to that of the Samba.

Its all-leather upper with a suede overlay in the toe-bending area limits our foot's range of motion in the BW Army.

It doesn't flex as effortlessly as the other minimalist trainers. Our stiffness test showed an above-average reading of 14.3N, meaning that this Adidas shoe requires more force to bend.

Leather also adds weight to the BW Army's build, but doesn't make it foot-draggingly heavy. At 13.4 oz (380g), the shoe is not the lightest, but it is on par with the sneaker average and weighs exactly the same as the Adidas Stan Smith.

Despite its clean appeal, the BW Army is not as summer-friendly as it seems. The absence of perforations or ventilation pores in its solid leather upper makes it harder for moisture and heat to escape from the sneaker.

We only raised its breathability score to 2 out of 5 because some smoke billowed through the gaps on the sides of its non-gusseted tongue.

That makes this Adidas shoe more suitable for a moderate temperature range.

The shoe's firm, low-stack platform creates a very stable foundation for the foot without any special stability elements. Foot wobbling is naturally less likely to occur in this setup.

Its leather upper and cupsole make the BW Army pretty resistant to twisting as well. Our custom machine recorded that warping this Adidas sneaker by 10 degrees in both directions requires a total torque of 13.4 Nm. Same as the Adidas Stan Smith.

A low-profile sneaker doesn't really need a stiff heel counter to help prevent undesirable foot rolling, and we are glad that it's not excessively structured in the BW Army. On a 1-5 stiffness scale, we gave it a moderate score of 2. Easily pliable and well-padded, it adds bonus points to the shoe's step-in comfort.

Its minimalist design dictates the BW Army's slim proportions. We weren't surprised to find that the widest part of the shoe's forefoot measured below average at 103.2 mm.

Its heel also showed a moderate width of 80.1 mm between the most extended contact points.

Having applied a butane torch to various parts of the Adidas BW Army's upper, we can confirm that the shoe's quality matches its price point.

The colorway in question (Core White / Night Indigo / Gum) uses real leather with synthetic coating for its primary upper layer. Other versions of this sneaker (Cloud White and Core Black) also feature cracked leather for a more textured and artisanal vibe.

The shoe's signature T-toe overlay and the heel overlay are made of real suede.

And the black midfoot strip is made of real leather.

Aside from giving the BW Army its retro look, the shoe's suede toebox overlay also adds a layer of protection to this wear-prone area.

With only cosmetic damage from our Dremel test, the shoe's toebox earned a high score of 4 out of 5 for durability. 

Inside the shoe, a smooth leather lining resists premature wear rather well, getting a high durability score of 4. But on the downside, it contributes to moisture buildup inside the BW Army.

Unfortunately, the shoe's gum outsole is not as hard-wearing as the upper. Our 18-second drilling session burned a good deal of its rubber, leaving a 1.3 mm dent in the outsole. A little deeper than average.

But at least it has a solid 3.8 mm thickness that helps the shoe last longer. 

A touch of underfoot comfort is offered by a 4.1 mm insole.

Lined with smooth leather as well, the insole loses points for odour and moisture management. But it is easily removable and can be swapped for a comfier alternative.

As a minimal sneaker with a leather upper, the Adidas BW Army has no reflective elements.

The shoe's tongue is very thin and minimally padded at only 4.2 mm. It also runs a bit longer than average and might cause rubbing and irritation on the ankle crease.

The shoe has a classic, free-floating tongue that's not attached to the upper.

This Adidas shoe offers easy entry without pull tabs or finger loops.

The BW Army is priced on par with the Adidas Stan Smith and similar silhouettes, making it an affordable GAT (German Army Trainer). Not everyone is ready to shell out £730- £1100 for a pair of Maison Margiela Replicas. A very similar silhouette has also become a staple among high-fashion brands like Steve Madden, Beckett Simonon, and Dior.