Asics

Look At The Sole

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The TakahiromiyashitaTheSoloist X Asics Chelsea boots are on the good side of cool

Sometimes you don’t have to do very much to a classic silhouette, such as the Chelsea boot. Japanese label TakahiromiyashitaTheSoloist has collaborated with fellow nihon no burano Asics for a pair of footwear that dates back to the Victorian era. This is all recognisably close-fitting and ankle-high, with the distinctive elastic side gusset. But the sole is very different. Rather that a union with the traditional low-stacked heel and hard-bottomed sole, this pair’s leather upper is cemented to the full-length GEL sole of the Asics GEL-Quantum 360 running shoes. The GEL sole is a technology that, according to Asics, “create better shock absorption underfoot”. Why a Chelsea boot that is now mostly worn to work needs such specialised cushioning for the feet is not explained, but the graphically jagged surface of the blacked-out sole does lend the otherwise sombre boot a slight subversive edge.

The Chelsea boot, interestingly, was thought to be first conceived for women. It is attributed to the work of Queen Victoria’s shoemaker, Joseph Sparks-Hall, who claimed that the monarch had worn the boots he designed daily, and was, hence, proof that the design held a special place in her heart (and shoe cabinet, probably). His boot came with practical elastic inserts to make the pulling on and off easier for the Queen. After Charles Goodyear’s invention of vulcanised rubber (treating the rubber to render it stronger and more flexible and springy) in the 1830s that led to the advent of elastics, the Chelsea boots (in equestrian sports, they’re known as paddock boot) now come with more elastic gusset that we’re familiar with to make slipping into a pair a lot easier, more than before. They became very much associated with the ’60s and, indeed, The Beatles, and the Chelsea boot is still not divorced from its mod past. Just the shoe for the holiday party season, especially this very cool pair.

TakahiromiyashitaTheSoloist X Asics Chelsea boots, SGD399, is available at Asics, Plaza Singapura. Photo: Asics

The Colour Of (Pulled) Milk Tea

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Sneakers that come in shades of food are not unusual, but those in one of our fave beverages, the teh tarik, are rather

By Awang Sulung

Malaysia and our little island share many things in common, food wise. But I am not wadding into the nasi lemak debate. Jangan! Never! Rather, let’s dip into our shared love of milk tea, especially teh tarik (or pulled tea in Malay, even if it’s essentially a mamak brew) And, across the Causeway, they seem far more willing to pair their love of this beverage with their love of sneakers than we do, so much so that they managed to convince Asics to colour of one the Japanese brand’s most popular sneaks—the Gel-Lyte III—in the particular orange-y tint of the teh Malaysians love to drink with roti canai. I don’t think Asics has any pair that sports the green of matcha, but in Malaysia, they have theirs that could have really been dipped in milk tea.

And I must say they appear fetching, if not sedap. And, for sure, they look cukup lemak, with the suede-like upper really imparting the full-cream milkiness of the teh. There is, for contrast, even the Asics Tiger Stripes in a fuzzy fabric, which could be the characteristic foam of the beverage. The latest colour story of the Gel-Lyte III is really the quenching of the creative thirst of one of Malaysia’s leading streetwear retailers Hundred%. This is, in fact, a follow-up to 2019’s GEL-Kayano 5 OG that came in the shades of nasi lemak! A work of not just Hundred%, but also the Malaysian sneaker con and store, SneakerLAH. Frankly, that skim warna did not work for me, as I consider it a tad gawdy. But this time, the monochromatic choice of teh tarik is, I find, more appealing .

I’ve always been a fan of the Gel-Lyte III, with its distinctive forked-tongue, but not like those of reptiles. And this teh tarik version has added grassroots/kedai kopi pull for me. Unfortunately, it is only available in Kuala Lumpur, and in one physical location. If you have a friend in the capital to do you a favour, your problem could be solved, but I fear that by the time you read this post, this pair of Asics, launched tomorrow, would be sold out, which would really leave some of us quite haus.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Asics Gel-Lyte III ‘Teh Tarik’, RM699, is only available at Home Store, Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Asics

Dad Fad Fades

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Undad shoesTop: Asics X Kiko Kostadinov Gel-Deva 1. Photo Asics. Bottom: Nike Zoom Vomero 5 SP. Photo: Nike

By Ray Zhang

If two of this month’s releases are any indication, chunky sneakers—described as ugly or dad (I don’t know which is worse)—are on the wane.

Asics, together with Kiko Kostadinov, the London-based Bulgarian designer now heading Mackintosh, has released the Gel-Deva 1, a shoe that could be part of the costumes of the Mad Max series. French Vogue may call them dad shoes, but I beg to differ as these are a lot less bulky than, say, Puma’s Thunder Spectra. Mr Kostadinov, now very much followed by discerning sneakerheads, isn’t such an obvious designer. His Gel-Deva series, first seen last season, feature an intricate upper rather than a bulky silhouette. Those who like to tinker with motherboards may find this utterly appealing.

Not to be outdone, Nike has released their own somewhat similar looking shoe (I am not saying they’re copying here). Also with a (partial) stripey upper and a not-so-complicated mid-sole, the Zoom Vomero 5 SP is a shoe made famous by A-Cold-Wall* when the latter released a version with Nike featuring an architectonic heel also described as a “heel sculpture”. I don’t know about you, but I seriously do not like kicks with rear protrusion.

Between the two, it is obvious to me that the emphasis is now not on girth and heft. Sneakers really should’t be part of an obstacle course when making manoeuvres to the exit of a crowded MRT train. It’s really about time.
Asics X Kiko Kostadinov Gel-Deva 1, SGD499, is available at DSMS. Nike Zoom Vomero 5 SP, SGD239, is available in Nike stores

Floral In The Twill

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Asics Gel Lyte V Floral Denim

Denim for sneakers is not a new idea. Most of the denims used for sport shoes have been the regular cloth we see in jeans. They could be raw, bleached, or distressed, but they have not been given a treatment such as these on the Asics Gel Lyte V, a reiteration using Japanese textile, proudly declared on a fabric hang tag that’s secured to the shoe’s eyelet.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t quite denim (it looks more like Oxford to us), but the twill weave and the blue is extremely similar. When paired with a pair of denim jeans, the kindred spirit is inescapable. What makes it unusual is the floral pattern interwoven into the fabric, a treatment also seen in the same shoe model released as “Bamboo”, both a reminder to the uninitiated of Asics’s Japanese founding and heritage.

While some brands are investing in technology that can make the most unusual knits or the most ornate technical jacquards, Asics have been giving some creative treatments to traditional twills. The floral denim is innovation habit that has also seen the introduction of dark denim with polka dots (on the Gel Lyte III). This should work in Asics’s favour considering how well liked Japanese denims are.

The Gel Lyte V was first released in 1993 and feature Asics’s gel cushioning and a fit that has been described as “sock-like”. The combined features have placed the Gel Lyte V as one of the best running shoes of all time, inducing sneaker giants such as Ronnie Fieg to produce their own interpretations. We’re not sure how prominent this shoe is on the running track, but with the floral denim, we’re sure they will be seen a lot on city pavements.

Asics Gel Lyte V “Floral Denim” for men and women, SGD189, is available at Onitsuka Tiger, Pedder on Scotts, Star 360 and select stockists. Photo: Jim Sim