B-Girl Ayumi Laces Jae Tips x Saucony Grid Shadow 2 ‘What’s the Occasion’

The sport of breaking has finally arrived at the Olympic stage, and there’s been plenty of heat laced by b-boys and b-girls across the inaugural weekend. One of the footwear highlights no doubt came from Ayumi Fukushima and her Saucony deep cut, with the Japanese breaker lacing the recent Jae Tips x Saucony Grid Shadow 2 ‘What’s the Occasion’.

Originally landing last year, the Grid Shadow 2 collaboration marked Jae Tips's sophomore link-up with Saucony, as the Bronx native and hip hop artist previously working on the Grid Azura 2000. Dubbed ‘What’s the Occasion’, the collaboration showcased a broad range of materials and colours emblematic of Tips’s unique style and revolved around the idea of a sneaker that can be worn during any occasion – whether formal or casual. The newest project between the two is set to debut later this month, the Jae Tips x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 expected to arrive in August. We’ve also still got our ears pressed to the ground for release dates around the duo of Jae Tips x Saucony Matrix, which were first glimpsed during Paris Fashion Week.

A prominent figure in the world of breaking, the 41-year-old Fukushima didn’t medal in Paris, but fellow countrywomen b-girl Ami defeated Lithuania’s Nicka in the final to become the first-ever Olympic champion in the sport. The bronze medal went to Liu Qingyi, also known as 671. She secured the medal by defeating b-girl India from the Netherlands

For more on high-performance Olympic footwear, make sure to check out LeBron James’s regal Nike LeBron 22 PE!