Right now, I can't breathe. No, it's no medical emergency, but Kiko Kostandinov Studio's work at ASICS continues to keep its foot on my neck – yours, too. The ASICS UB4-S GEL-1130? A delightful three-piece addition to the duo's growing arsenal of best-in-class sneakers.
At this point, I refuse to try hiding my bias where the work of Kiko's team and ASICS are concerned. It's become impossible. Most recently, treats included the GORE-TEX-equipped GEL-Sonoma 15/50 GTX (which I've struggled to take off for the past few months) and the pastel-coated GEL-Kayano 14.
It's becoming difficult to prioritize which styles deserve to be copped and which are best left to be marveled at – if I could take them all, trust me, I would.
So, next in line to touch down is the UB4-S GEL-1130. Arriving as the next stage in a timeline of sorts, this three-piece delivery sees Kiko Kostandinov Studio (helmed by the man himself) tackle the ninth iteration of the GEL-1000 series to great effect.
By all means, a classic in the GEL-1000 series, the 1130 in its original build has been shown plenty of love by the ASICS mainline in the last couple of years, and rightly so; it's simple, looks vintage, and packs a performance punch.
While the overall look and feel of the original 1130 are largely maintained, the UB4-S GEL-1130 feels straight out of the future. The biggest difference between the two models is the mesh that stretches across the upper to conceal the ASICS branding and caging below, creating a bold contrast between the materials used.
As is standard for a Kiko ASICS drop, strong color contrasts dress each of the three colorways on offer, with green and yellow on red, navy on purple, as well as silver and yellow on sky blue.
These are starting to hit shelves now, including on the Highsnobiety Shop.
