Recycled Airbags Pad Out the Toyoda Gosei x ASICS GEL-Sonoma 15-50
Sneaker collaborations are usually conducted between symbiotic partners in the fashion or culture industries, but sometimes they tap unlikely entities. Toyoda Gosei, a Japanese automotive supplier, have teamed up with on the and supplied their spare airbags for the uppers.
Yep, that’s right, discarded prototype airbags have been repurposed for these ASICS, which show up on the material underlays in place of mesh. It’s quite an interesting execution, as it looks like the raw fabric from Toyoda Gosei has been placed straight onto the shoes, evident by the red markings. This detail is referenced in the white and red complementary colourway.
According to the brand, these airbags were once used during prototype development and were discarded after testing. Rather than hit landfill, this durable and light textile works perfectly on sneakers. Nice!
The Toyoda Gosei x ASICS GEL-Sonoma 15-50 will release on January 27.