Sokat 2 me (feat. Kiko) - a Full Length Gel Story.

Since the ‘OK’ sneaker (ASICS first successful basketball shoe) came out, the brand has always gained so much inspiration from their Japanese heritage and nature as well. The Gel-Quantum infinity shows just that. ASICS first full length GEL technology midsole takes inspiration from water drops and ripples hence the detailed sole unit.

Onitsuka Tiger OK Sneaker

In terms of technological benefits, what ASICS were aiming for with this sole unit is to minimise shock that may come from heavy contact with the ground. The Gel acts as a shock absorber to reduce energy loss and injury. It’s an exciting prospect by the brand to be able to finally create the full length Gel sole, with the way the industry is moving there is no doubt in my mind that this technology is going to continue to improve in so many ways without us having to wait too long for the next iteration.

One of the last things to mention is the shoes upper and sole unit colouring. Using a seamless upper with a 3D puff print all over the shoe, the upper is aimed to be more comfortable and still have some swaggy p element to it. As for the sole ASICS have no doubt brought some style to the sneaker with the gradient - almost slime vibes on the sole. The Katakana graphics, found on the tongue loop which translates to ‘Gel’ while the heel tabs translates to ‘Infinity’, holds an aesthetic within the writing which fits nicely on the sneaker along with the little gold accents which stand out without taking took much away from the shoe itself. The sole unit is what this sneaker is all about!

The Infinity sole has been a goal that the brand has been striving towards since the initial launch of Gel technology in the Asics Gel-Lyte in 1987. Although the Gel-Infinity was the first full length Gel sole it wasn't actually the first shoe we saw that featured this new technology.

After being leaked early 2018 on social media before Kiko Kostadinov's SS19 show, the Kiko x Asics Gel-Sokat 1 was packed full of world firsts including the never before seen sole unit! Before the release of the Asics Gel-Infinity, the Sokat was the first sneaker where we got to see Asics‘ full Gel sole units, not only that, but this sneaker is the FIRST EVER Asics shoe to feature the spiral 'a' logo instead of the traditional strikes. The Sokat features a full mesh upper making them super breathable, metallic panelling around the heel, toe box and eyelets giving it some extra reinforcement.

The design inspiration behind the Sokat is actually taken from old Asics made Tug of War shoes. Not only that but the word 'Sokat' is derived from the Basque word 'Sokatira' which

means ‘Tug Of War’.

Asics Tug of War Sneaker

For those who didn’t know the collaboration between these 2 has become a huge deal with endless success. Believe it or not this is the first time that Asics have given an external collaborator full control over the concepts, design and archival inspirations to create what has become a hugely successful project.