Asics has transformed running into a philosophy of life
Ten years ago, Asics was limited to gyms and serious marathon runners. Today, the Japanese brand occupies the streetwear podiums as an obvious choice. This spectacular mutation has a name: Kiko Kostadinov. The Bulgarian designer, after shaking up the Supreme from London, agreed in 2021 to collaborate with Asics. Result: silhouettes that transcend the sport/fashion binary in favor of a hybrid, minimalist and obsessive aesthetic. The Gel-Lyte III suddenly took on an aura of vintage couture.
At the same time, the Canadian collective JJJJound performs the same magic trick from Montreal. Their interpretations of the Asics archives, from the Gel-Lyte V to the Gel-NYC in muted shades and noble materials, transform these shoes into objects of contemplation. No screaming logo, no flashy colorway: just impeccable architecture and a restraint that resembles arrogance. It's the exact opposite of the declamatory Nike of the 2000s.
This phenomenon is not a coincidence. Asics has a unique genetic heritage: the Onitsuka Tiger heritage of the 1960s, the Shoeei Miyake philosophy of the 1980s, a Japanese obsession with fit and geometry. The big houses, Comme des Garçons, Needles, Beams, had already smelled it. But it was Kostadinov and JJJJound who exported this sophistication to global streetwear, transforming technical running into a sign of taste.
Models like the Gel-NYC “Obsidian Grey” no longer say “I’m jogging”. They state a philosophy: patience, proportion, restraint. A healthy reaction against excess. The queues in front of the SNKRS Drops confirm it, these shoes sell like Virgil Abloh in 2017, with the difference that they exude intelligence. These models are available at MNR Sneakers, where we better understand this visual grammar.
Today, Asics no longer has to prove anything. It has reinvented itself as discreet luxury, a connoisseur's luxury. Kostadinov and JJJJound offered him the passport to the most exclusive circles of contemporary design. And technical running, finally, breathes.
Models mentioned, available at MNR Sneakers : ASICS Gel-NYC 2055 "Hidden NY Aqua Relic" · ASICS Gel-NYC 2.0 "Graphite Grey Black" · ASICS Gel-NYC "Obsidian Grey"