Sole Food is a weekly series built on sneaker editor Morgan Smith's takes on the biggest topics in sneaker culture.

We know ASICS makes good dad shoes. But who knew the Japanese sportswear brand could turn out such slick clothes, too? 

On a normal day of business, ASICS dishes out standard performance apparel and, under its Sportstyle imprint, more casual (but still sporty) pieces. But as of late, it's been pushing fashionable wearables as strong as any sneaker, primarily through street-savvy designer collaborations.

On August 14, ASICS announced its second collaboration with Brazilian brand Carnan, revealing not only a pretty purple GEL-CUMULUS 16 sneaker but also impressively cool cotton twill jackets and bleached zip-up pullovers embellished with giant ASICS “A” logos. Previously, ASICS linked up with famed customizer Vandy the Pink to create ice-cream-flavored GEL-Kayano 12.1s joined by equally sweet apparel options. Picture oversized sugary-striped rugby polos and canvas double-knee shorts with waffle cone-style stitching. 

It's about time we got some clothes to match the shoes. Interest in 2000s-y techy dadcore sneakers grew around 2022, normalizing ASICS and ASICS-flavored dad shoes. The brand leveraged its swelling hype for collaborations with fashion labels like Thom Browne and Cecilie Bahnsen. But some were early to the ASICS party, like designer Kiko Kostadinov, who’s been an ASICS partner since 2017. However, it took until 2023 for the partnership to move beyond the feet with Novalis, a high-end line that also includes tasteful clothes, like Merino wool sweaters and roomy wide-leg pleated trousers up for grabs on the brand’s website.

ASICS is not the first to crack the code but its success in realizing clothes that go beyond sportswear comes at a time where some footwear-first brands are earnestly leaning into cool clothes. adidas is a prime example, having found its own sweet spot with wearables. The sportswear giant recently noted “strong growth” in its apparel category in the first quarter of 2026, presumably helped by viral moments like the Chinese New Year jacket. 

I, myself, have noticed how good adidas’ clothes have become, having purchased a couple of styles that are all of pretty good quality. And it looks like others have also taken notice. According to a recent StockX report, adidas' clothes are also thriving in the retail afterlife, with apparel seeing a nearly 700% sales bump in the last year. 

Up until August 2026, ASICS spent two years as the number one fastest growing sneaker brand on the resale platform (Saucony now holds the crown). That doesn’t mean the sneakers aren’t thriving anymore — they are — but the real takeaway is that, finally, ASICS is creating clothes as strong as its signature product.

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