For a very long time, Asics sneakers have been the only protect of utmost runners and style-agnostic dads. However over the previous couple of years, slowly after which seemingly abruptly, the Japanese sportswear juggernaut caught fireplace with one other demographic fully: style-pilled fellas much less occupied with logging miles than dressing like they may—y’know, the kind of guys behind this very publication.
Asics did not explode in reputation in a single day. The model has been round in a single type or one other since 1949, and diehard sneakerheads will remind you that it wasn’t that way back that the Gel-Lyte III was a bona fide collaborative grail. However its standing in 2024 as one of many greatest tales in sneakers boils right down to an archive full of right-now silhouettes from the not-too-distant previous, an assortment that continues to affect the largest, boldest names in menswear—and encourage fully new silhouettes within the course of.
7 Asics Silhouettes Price a Spot in Your Rotation
In different phrases, there’s by no means been extra methods so as to add some tiger stripes to your rotation, however shopping for the suitable pair of Asics sneakers is now not a matter of determining which one most accurately fits your working stride. So that will help you dwelling in on the mannequin price your time, we went deep on 7 of probably the most noteworthy silhouettes within the model’s arsenal, each prepared and raring to anchor saggy denims and cropped jackets—or simply enable you to beat the frenzy en path to the sneaker retailer. Within the spirit of Asics itself, scroll by way of the beneath, resolve what you want, after which haul ass to get ‘em earlier than they’re gone.
The Do not-Overthink-It Choose: Asics Gel-Kayano 14
The Asics archive is brimming with retro bangers, however the prime canine—the one which helped put aught-era trainers on the map—is the Gel Kayano 14. The silhouette first hit cabinets in 2008, however within the time because it’s loved a second life as a shock trend crowd favourite, culminating in its underdog win as GQ’s Sneaker of 2023. A slew of buzzy collaborations may’ve supercharged its return, however even general-release variations may be difficult to purchase, and for good cause. The Gel-Kayano 14 is not simply probably the most recognizable It footwear available on the market—it stays each bit the efficiency shoe it was again in ‘08, the silhouette close to single-footedly answerable for Asics’s present reign atop the charts.
The Sleeper Choose: Asics Gel-1130
The Gel-1130 boasts all of the hallmarks of one other archival hit: mesh base, swooping tiger stripes, easy-riding thick sole. Although the silhouette cribs freely from the kicks 10K warriors wore at Limewire’s peak, it really debuted in 2021. The most important method the 1130 diverges from footwear just like the Kayano 14 and Asics’ suite of contemporary working sneakers? Value. At round $100 retail relying on the place you purchase it, it’s the perfect entry-level possibility for anybody occupied with what Asics has to supply, however loath to enter a raffle—or take care of the aftermarket—to get it.
The Inventory-Rising Choose: Asics GT-2160
Final 12 months, when the highest brass at Asics HQ began serious about dusting off the GT-2160, an award-winning runner from 2011, the model was already seeing a surge of curiosity in what it refers to as “classic tech” fashions just like the Gel-Kayano 14. The GT-2160 felt just like the Kayano 14’s pure successor—and the advertising staff knew precisely how one can anoint it. In 2023, Asics quietly enlisted a roster of fashion-world collaborators to place their spin on the silhouette, the identical strategy that helped propel the Kayano 14 to the forefront of the menswear dialog. Not like the Kayano, although, the GT-2160 has but to achieve peak saturation—although if the chatter surrounding its each launch is any indication, that will not final lengthy.
The New-College Choose: Asics Gel-NYC
The aptly-named Gel-NYC first debuted in 2023 in collaboration with Queens native, and Awake NY founder, Angelo Baque. However its New York roots additionally manifest in the way in which it wraps disparate parts—on this case a trio of Asics fashions from three completely different many years—in a completely new silhouette. The higher attracts inspiration from the ’90s-era Gel-MC Plus and the circa-2000s Gel Nimbus 3, whereas the only is lifted from a pair of Gel Cumulus 16 footwear from 2014. The results of all of that remixing? A shoe that by some means appears to be like prefer it’s been round ceaselessly and feels extraordinarily proper now.
The Pattern-Agnostic Choose: Asics EX89
Asics is behind a few of the hottest kicks available on the market, however the sportswear juggernaut is aware of its method across the classics, too. Enter the EX89, a low profile, eminently inexpensive basketball shoe that originally debuted in (you guessed it) 1989, and has remained a sleeper hit ever since. The pared-down vibe doesn’t pop as a lot on the ‘gram, however in case you’d favor to remain blissfully unaware of no matter traits your buddies are chasing—or simply want sneakers that look good with shorts, denims, and the whole lot between—you’d be hard-pressed to discover a higher possibility.
The Fan Favourite Choose: Asics Gel-Nimbus 9
If the Gel Kayano 14 is the chart-topping hit, the Gel Nimbus 9 is the B-side monitor that diehard followers play on repeat. Just like the Kayano 14, the silhouette was launched within the late aughts as a long-distance working shoe, however today, you’re extra prone to see it on well-dressed of us on the espresso store. The most important distinction between the Nimbus 9 and the Kayano 14 is the previous’s bubbly sole unit, which makes for a delightfully retro-futuristic look that skews extra futuristic than retro. You may’t go fallacious with both, however in 2024, the Nimbus 9 may flip just a few extra heads.
The True Efficiency Choose: Asics Gel-Kayano 30
Given all of the hype surrounding Asics’s retro fashions, it’s straightforward to overlook that the Japanese footwear juggernaut makes a few of the greatest pure efficiency runners, too. The most recent iteration of the Gel-Kayano debuted simply final 12 months, nevertheless it appears to be like a heckuva lot completely different than any of the opposite silhouettes on this checklist, a sign of the big strides Asics has made within the efficiency house over the past couple of many years. The Gel-Kayano 30 ditches the multi-paneled higher in favor of a single piece of light-weight knit cloth, which sits atop a thick, plush foam outsole. Purchase them now to hit the monitor and also you’ll be ten years early when fellas begin sporting ’em in every single place else.
