Asics never seems to be short of collaborative partners when it comes to special edition sneakers, and the sportswear company tends to cast its net wide, too, with projects from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, German fashion brand GmbH, to designer Ronnie Fieg of New York store Kith. This month sees a new drop — the second collaboration between Asics and Japanese illustrator Yu Nagaba.
Yu Nagaba is famous for its simple, line portrait drawing style. Working around the theme of Tokyo being the place where passionate young people chase their dreams, this collaboration includes two distinctive sneaker styles. The first is the GEL-PTG, which is based on the FABRE POINT GETTER basketball shoe first launched in 1983. The outer sides of the sneakers are embroidered with Nagaba’s signature pen strokes, with a different illustration on each side. Extra black lines highlight the shape of the sneaker, and small illustrations adorn the shoelaces of this special edition.
The Asics x Yu Nagaba Tarther Magic originates from the 1996 running shoe. This reissue edition follows the original mess design on the top, with additional boy and girl portraits from Nagaba decorating the tip of the sneakers. Yu Nagaba’s name adorns the heels, the Asics logo is on the tongue, and the special logo of this collaboration can be found on the insole. Additional details include bronze decorating tape and lace lock structure.
Both styles are now available at Asics Harbour City and K11 Musea stores.
