flat sneakers Were everywhere Last year. From New Balance to Adidas, nearly every sneaker brand introduced shoes whose soles were shaved down to the bare minimum. But Asics? Asics just kept doing its thing. And, to be fair, it makes sense.
Over the past few years, the Japanese sportswear company has been completely cleaning up with chunky silhouettes. There’s Gel-Kayano 14, Gel-1130, and GT-2160 (as seen on Robert Pattinson) Drama). The brand’s kicks are beloved by everyone from Josh O’Connor to Timothée Chalamet kendrick lamarThe latter of which was so impressed by him that he even moved away from his beloved Swoosh. Why fix what isn’t broken when you’re already making some of the best heavy duty sneakers in the business?
Well, maybe because no one can live on the edge forever – and that’s where the brand new Gel-Fi Z comes in. This is Asics’ first proper take on the low-profile trend, and somehow it’s arrived nearly a year late without really feeling late.
Viewed from above it still looks unmistakably Asics. You’ve got an airy mesh upper, shiny leather overlays, and the famous tiger stripes running along the sides. But everything below has been leveled. The sole is noticeably thinner than anything else in the label’s current lineup, though the hidden gel cushioning means you don’t have to sacrifice comfort just because everyone is suddenly obsessed with thin soles. Even the outsole has been redesigned to suit the way your foot naturally moves, rather than some brand’s straight up lift of it. running shoes.
Gel-Fi Z also falls in the middle of the lot, Very Strong year for the company. Asics was one of the first major brands to actually stay behind sneaker-mule thingAnd its collab roster has never looked healthier. There was that Thom Browne drop that was revealed gq Bowl in February, as well as tabby trainers courtesy of Kiko Kostadinov. The next few months will also give us another mega-clean Studio Nicholson drop and Asics’ first link-up with LVMH award-nominated designer Junte Kim. This is a beautifully organized calendar.
