Japanese brand ASICS and New York designer Ronnie Fieg have had a special relationship for many years. Even before the creation of his shop KITH in 2011, Ronnie Fieg had teamed up with the sportswear label under the name ‘David Z’. The talented Queens designer showcased on his Instagram account his 99th and 100th collaborations with ASICS based on the GEL-Lyte III silhouette.
These exclusive KITH x GEL-Lyte III « Super Orange » and « Super Yellow » releases celebrate the opening of 2 new KITH stores, Beverly Hills and Miami respectively.
They appear in the continuity of the « Super Serie » started in 2009 with the « Super Blue » colorway.
Ronnie explains that these 2 new versions, identified as the 99th and 100th collaborations with ASICS, have been remastered in order to find the same specificities as in 2007, when he worked for the very first time with the Japanese equipment manufacturer. He commented : « Having worked with the shoes as closely as I have over the years, I have learned that the smallest change can make a huge difference. »
So, after months of work and thought, the GEL-Lyte III Remastered « Super Orange » and « Super Yellow » get changes to the foam collar padding, the width of the embossed logos, the size of the panels and mudguard, as well as the other elements involved in the identity of the model.
These collaborative pairs consist of smooth and perforated nubuck base and overlays, complemented by a tonal mesh collar and split tongue set. Tigers Stripes on the side add a touch of contrasting color. The « Super Orange » features a beige upper and bright orange side logos, while the « Super Yellow » has a grey upper and chick yellow side stripes. The FIEG branding is embroidered on one side of the tongue in tone-on-tone and the name ‘GEL-LYTE III’ is embossed on the side heel. To ensure a harmonious design, the inner lining, laces and eyelets are dressed in the same color as the upper, as is the rubber outsole coupled with the white midsole.
About his creation journey, Ronnie Fieg adviced : « When you set out to build or create something to last, consider what your catalog will look like five, even 10 years down the line. I didn’t begin my partnership with ASICS expecting to make 100 models. But with each one I did consider how it would live in my timeline. Every installment, no matter the medium you’re working in, should be a building block. If you approach your craft this way, then those rare moments when you take a second to bring your head above water to look at everything as a whole, will be some of the most rewarding moments of your life. »
The Kith x ASICS Gel Lyte III Remastered « Super Orange » & « Super Yellow » will be released to commemorate the opening of the new KITH stores. The « Super Orange » will launch on February 3, 2023 in the Beverly Hills store, before being available online at kith.com a few days later on February 6, 2023. The release date of the « Super Yellow » has not yet been announced, so stay tuned to not miss anything !
