ASICS: Intersection of Performance and Fashion

Founded as a sports brand in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka in Japan, ASICS began with a vision to promote universal health and fitness. Over the years, the brand has become renowned for its innovative running technology that has optimised sports performances of athletes. Shortly after announcing its first collaboration with Bulgarian designer Kiko Kostadinov in 2018 with the GEL-Burz 1 silhouette, ASICS has continued to push the boundaries of performance and fashion including collaborations with AFFIX, Vivienne Westwood, GmbH and many others. Unleashing unique perspectives on classic ASICS silhouettes with the use of different materials, colourways and unlikely combinations, the collaborations have garnered a cult following within fashion and ASICS fans alike.

In our editorial, we pay homage to ASICS‘ transition to street style fashion through a lookbook that highlights fashion show inspired looks and styled with the new “ASICS x GmbH GEL-NANDI 360” and the “ASICS x Kiko Kostadinov GEL-KIRIL“.

After combining elements from ASICS’ GEL-NIMBUS 20 and GEL-VENTURE 6 to introduce the collaborative GEL-Burz 1 model, experimental label Kiko Kostadinov has established a committed partnership with the sneaker manufacturer since 2018. With a green light from the Japanese team to “push ideas further with no hesitation,” the partners have then teamed up on 8 collaborative designs to date with the latest GEL-Kiril — Kostadinov’s first original ASICS silhouette. Created over the course of 18 months and first debuted at his PFW presentation, the Kiril shows Kostadinov’s knack for combining the Japanese brand’s sporty stylings and signature tech with his own bold flair.

Now available in the “Cilantro” and “Black” colorways, the GEL-Kiril’s signature detail is its latticed midfoot overlay — a diamond pattern that places glossy patent leather over an athletically inclined mesh base. Front and rear both get in on the action as well: the former with an extended rubber toe bumper that reaches all the way onto the toebox and secures the bottom lace eyestays, the latter with an asymmetrical ASICS graphic on the heel.

Elsewhere, Berlin’s GmbH has also unveiled its ASICS collaboration recently, seeing two new colorways of the GEL-Nandi360. The first colorway of the sneaker sees its upper rendered in a military-influenced “Khaki,” which is offset by a bright pink sole unit, as well as bright pink embroidered branding on the heel and tongue, and the two label’s logos on the footbed. The second design features an all-black upper, with the sole unit and detailing reworked into the same Khaki tone.

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