The Best of ASICS in 2022

In February, we stated that 2022 was going to be the year of ASICS, and they undoubtedly had an epic 12 months! Their meteoric rise has been a long time coming, and 2022 cemented them as one of the top brands in the sneakersphere. The heat generated from their lifestyle line has increased tenfold, but ASICS loyalists may say they’ve been on a consistent run for a while now.

As with their cohort, collaborations and clever hires have led the way, so here are the Japanese brand’s 2022 highlights.

Kiko Curated

Kiko Kostadinov has arguably been the catalyst for the seismic shift in ASICS’ lifestyle offerings. His collaborative run with the brand began in 2018, and although it officially came to an end at the end of 2020, the Kiko Kostadinov design team has stayed on as consultants. Ever since then, they’ve helped craft new colourways and launch new silhouettes. The HN2-S PROTOBLAST, UB3-S GEL-Nimbus 9, UB4-S GEL-1130 and HS4-S GEL-Sonoma have all been major highlights for the duo.

They also engaged in a rare tri-branded offering, linking up with Japanese label Hysteric Glamour to craft the GEL-Quantum Lylia! After being unveiled, the two-colourway pack was heralded as one of the best female-geared colabs of the year.

Gel-Lyte III

The crown jewel of ASICS’ lifestyle range is the GEL-Lyte III, and it’s been given some major love in 2022! Sneaker Freaker even linked up on the GLIII alongside our homies at atmos to craft the ‘Alley Cats’. Another colab that deserves a shout-out is HUNDRED% and SneakerLAH’s ‘Teh Tarik’, which paid homage to the Malaysian milk tea of the same name. PLEASURES, Awake NY and Afew also all deserve an honorary mention for their clean interpretations.

Colabs weren’t the only highlight for the silhouette, though. A stack of GR heaters came through in 2022, including these and these!

Collaborative Clout

In 2022, ASICS’ collaborative catalogue stretched far and wide, and they tapped into niche brands and big names to rework many of their silhouettes. One of the biggest in 2022 was from JJJJound, with the moodboard maestros enlisted to craft an aesthetic-AF pack of Kayano 14s. HAL STUDIOS continued the autumnal vibes when the Perth locals were tasked with forging a GEL-1130, which was so well received they were invited back for a second round!

ASICS also dared to step (very far) outside the box in 2022, recruiting left-field collaborators to whip up wild creations. They all arrived in October, and kicking it off was TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist who turned the GEL-Quantum 360 into a Chelsea Boot. Next up was BEAMS, who doused the Kayano 14 in a mosquito net-esque shroud, further bolstered with GORE-TEX water-wicking tech. Finally, Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Bahnsen upcycled fabric, adorning GEL-Nimbus 9s and GEL-1130s with flower motifs.

GR Hits

The term ‘underrated’ gets thrown around a lot in the sneakersphere, but it’s the perfect word to describe ASICS’ 2022 General Release catalogue. Feeding off colabs with HAL STUDIOS, P.E Nation and Naked, the GEL-1130 came through in plenty of crisp autumnal tones and throw-back builds. Not far behind, the GEL-Kayano 14 was still riding high off its mega year in 2021, capitalising on the clout and making 2022 a year to remember. Following a Kiko-curated rebirth, the GEL-Nimbus 9 thrived over the past 12 months, especially with younger audiences on TikTok.

How did you feel about the sneakersphere in 2022? Look back on the year that was here!