No One Saw Thom Browne's ASICS Sneakers Coming (EXCLUSIVE)
No one expected Thom Browne to do a collaborative ASICS sneaker. But, then, no one expected Browne to singularly reshape the suit. So, here we are: Thom Browne's very first sneaker collab is with ASICS Sportstyle, revealed at the designer's pre-Super Bowl 2026 runway show.
These are two good tastes that taste particularly well together. It helps that ASICS' running shoes and Browne's shrunken tailoring are of one radical piece. Browne's ASICS GEL-KAYANO 14 sneaker feels as tailored as a technical trainer possibly can be, suited up in Browne's preferred shade of grey and cleverly accented with Browne's signature striped grosgrain tab on the heel (where it functions as a pull tab).
It's just that no one saw Thom Browne ASICS coming, just like no one but Browne could've proposed, pioneered, and perfected his trademark three-piece suit.
The novelty of utilitarian shoes gone luxury never fades. And it doesn't really matter whether the result is as simple as an ordinary sneaker emboldened with an extraordinary logo or a transformative take on tech. The combo of luxury label and sportswear giant is impossibly alluring.
Add Thom Browne, a designer best known for sharp 'n short suits, to the mix and you get a must-see shoe situation.
Paradoxically, Browne's ASICS sneakers are intentionally understated, as seemingly sober as the midcentury workers that inspire his practice. Like the designer's revisionary take on traditional American dress, his ASICS fold a sporty shape into a notion of informal-formality, adding a certain decorum to a cushioned runner. The tonal suede and mesh, you expect. The high-contrast panels, perhaps less so. But as an object, these smart-sport shoes are radical by virtue of their inclusion in Browne's world.
When the Thom Browne ASICS shoes release on March 2, they'll organically blend into Browne's seasonal selection of narrow blazers and trim track gear as a natural extension of his sense of daily dress. Their existence is a pleasant quandary but their execution is classic Thom Browne.
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.
