Three years after his last ASICS shoe, Kengo Kuma is back with another ASICS sneaker collaboration for 2024. And I must say: it's quite like no other ASICS shoe on the market (this is a compliment, by the way).
Kengo Kuma's third ASICS shoe sees the renowned Japanese architect deliver a refreshing take on the ASICS Archisite ORU sneaker.
Diving straight into the design, the Kengo Kuma x ASICS Archisite ORU sneaker presents a cool translucent overlay right off the bat.
This semi-see-through covering swaddles the ASICS Archisite ORU sneaker, topped off with bungee ties and a stitched version the ASICS logo.
Underneath the slightly transparent shroud, Kuma's ASICS Archisite ORU shoe presents a familiar woven concept. In particular, Kuma fans may be getting déjà vu from his ASICS MetaRide AMU shoe from 2019.
Kuma's MetaRide AMU sneaker, his first ASICS design, grabbed attention with its overlapping synthetic strips inspired by Japanese bamboo knitting, or yatara ami. The MetaRide AMU shoe also incorporated other intriguing details like a technical knit upper and wood-based midsole.
Similar architecture-style techniques also informed Kuma's Fendi Spring/Summer 2024 collaboration, which featured cork and advanced knit sneakers and paper-made handbags.
The Kengo Kuma x ASICS collab has sort of wrapped up the previous design with this new overlay, almost like a preservation of the impeccable team-up. No wooded bases this go-around, but still the newest sneaker is fancy as is.
Kuma and ASICS plan to officially unveil the new Archisite ORU sneaker collab during an exclusive event for OneASICS members on April 3 (applications for the event are now open).
In a crowd of Y2K-worthy ASICS sneakers, Kuma's shoe collabs stand out like his unmistakable works around the world. Even his spas look very Kuma.
