When you think of Asics and a sneaker collaboration, you instantly think Ronnie Fieg – the creator of KITH. His longstanding relationship with the brand brought us many classics, such as Gel Lyte V Volcano or Gel Lyte III Miami, amongst others. I got a few pairs myself and was blown away with Fieg’s ability to pick colors, to go so well together.
He recently opened a new KITH store in Japan and decided to celebrate that, by designing 3 new colorways of the Gel Lyte III, called the Tokyo Trio pack.
The first model, Gel Lyte III 252.1, is an extension of Fieg’s first-ever collaboration from 2007, named the 252 Pack. The new version is based on the similar color palette, but with a fresh twist. Kept mostly in black, with a salmon toe, this leather-suede silhouette feels intriguing – especially if you swap the laces, to the red and blue ropes supplied with the pair.
The second colorway, Yoshino Rose – derives its’ name from the yoshino cherry tree with beautiful pink blossoms, which is one of the symbols of Japan. The model uses a mix of fabrics (suede, leather, mesh) with subtle pink stripes on the sides. It’s my personal favorite from the pack.
The third pair, dubbed Super Gold, was supposed to be aligned with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that had to be rescheduled due to pandemic. This model is made of soft white leather with metallic gold stripes and a navy/red outsole – definitely giving that Olympic vibe.
The pack officially released on July 27th, so you may need to source a pair from private sellers at this point.
To me, Gel Lyte III is one of the most comfortable sneakers there is. It cushions your feet well and will be a great choice for long walks. It’s an absolute must-have, if you value comfortable sneakers.
The newest Asics x Ronnie Fieg collaboration, while being quite muted and toned down, looks super clean and I definitely will try to get the Yoshino Rose pair. For the time being, I’m impatiently waiting for a parcel with a pair of KITH collaboration sneakers, that I will be showing you in one of my next reviews, so stay tuned!
