While not as experimental as brands like Nike or Adidas, Asics has still been known to push the occasional creative boundary.
In 2018, the brand embarked on a rather unconventional partnership with Kiko Kostadinov. The Bulgarian fashion designer began putting unique spins on archival silhouettes, reinterpreting them for lifestyle wear and exaggerating technical elements. He eventually became a curator of the SportStyle division, helping shape the overall design language of the line.
But before all that, Asics took a daring risk on a strange new shoe called the Gel-Super J33 in 2013. Despite good intentions, it was a notorious flop. Now, Kostadinov aims to give the J33 a second life over a decade later.
Club 33
In the early 2010s, Asics was somewhat criticized for only making heavily structured stability shoes like the Kayano. Minimalist runners were all the rage, but still, the footwear brand wouldn’t budge. That is, until the debut of the Gel-Super J33.
It was arguably the most interesting model from the experimental Natural33 collection. The short-lived range was inspired by a runner’s natural movement and named after the 33 joints in the human foot. It debuted the new FluidAxis technology, featuring deep geometric flex grooves cut into the sole that aligned to the actual joints of the foot.
