ASICS’ New Collaboration Has Big, Bold Branding
The ASICS GEL-KAYANO 14, an old-school running shoe regularly the focus of fashionable collaborations, has become the latest in a series of sneakers to cover up its laces thanks to a collaboration with Korean label The Museum Visitor.
Not quite going to the lengths of the ASICS Gel-NYC from the start of this year which completely obscured its lacing system, the new shoe comes with an extended tongue that folds over onto the top of the shoe.
The huge piece of added tongue fabric also includes a huge piece of ASICS branding, embossed in contrasting colors on all three pairs.
And, in case the tongue isn’t enough branding for you, there’s also ASICS' signature four-stripe logo covering the side and contrast ASICS lettering on the heel. The sneaker might be veering toward being over-branded, however, that huge logo on the tongue is its defining feature.
Releasing on ASICS' Korean website on July 25 (if you aren’t in Korea, don't worry: there’ll be a worldwide release on August 16) the three colorways in the collection comprise a silver, black, and off-white variation each decorated with a gradient effect.
The colorways are great but what makes this sneaker distinctive from the many other experimental GEL-KAYANO 14 models is its big flappy-tongued branding.
This is far from being the first sneaker recently released with an excessively large tongue (ASICS released its own with OTTO958 last year as well as flappy-tongued skate shoes last month), however, the majority of the big-tongued shoes created are old football boots turned into stylish sneakers — flappy tongues are used to help football players strike a football.
Now, the feature has gone far beyond football to encompass retro running shoes, retro racing footwear, and Nike Air Maxes.
