ASICS unveils Gel-kinetic 2.0 sneaker at "retro-futuristic" Milan installation
Promotion: Japanese footwear brand ASICS has teamed up with Los Angeles studio NUOVA to create an immersive sensory installation during Milan design week, which celebrates the movement central to its Gel-kinetic 2.0 sneaker.
Kinetic Playscape is co-conceived by NUOVA and ASICS as an experimental pop-up at Garage 21 in Milan's elegant La Zona Risorgimento neighbourhood.
Informed by studies that say 15 minutes and 9 seconds of play can positively impact mental function, Kinetic Playscape was designed to immerse audiences while introducing them to the design philosophy at the heart of ASICS's latest sneaker, Gel-kinetic 2.0.
Leaders in footwear technology, the ASICS Institute of Sport Science crafted the Gel-kinetic 2.0 from the DNA of other highly successful keystones in the brand's lineup, such as the Gel-kinetic 4.0, Gel-Franti, and the Gel-tornado series.
The sneaker's design reinterprets early-2000s running gear with a scientific, future-focused lens.
Integrated into the shoe is the Scutoid Gel performance cushioning, as well as a TPU support cage around the sole, which enhances its stability and responsiveness.
Across five spaces, Kinetic Playscape highlights the design process behind Gel-kinetic 2.0, whilst also exploring ASICS's design influences from Italian radical design to Japanese minimalism.
The overall space was conceived as a fictional research institute, anchoring the experience in the high-minded research that goes into ASICS's legacy footwear.
"Guests journey through a retro-futuristic world of tactile, sensorial, and playful encounters," said ASICS. "The environment blends Italian radical design with Japanese minimalism, dissolving the boundaries between installation and play, between memory and motion, inspiring emotional uplift."
Within this heady, immersive environment, the team centred on tactility. Each of the five spaces communicates various levels of groundedness, from the "weight of the earth underfoot to the lightness of a body in motion".
In this way, the installation mirrors the wide-ranging research programme that ASICs promulgates at its own research hub in Kobe, Japan.
ASICS also explained that the "retro-futurism" of the installation recalls the enduring Y2K style seen in the Gel-kinetic 2.0.
"The new design reinterprets early-2000s running aesthetics through a future-focused lens," it added.
Beyond the conceptual experience, visitors to the installation will be able to immerse further by physically testing the sneaker, which aligns with the 70-year-old brand's mission to "Uplift Minds through movement".
For ASICS, the installation is the brand's first foray at Milan design week, and its first customer-facing activation in Italy.
Gel Kinetic 2.0 is available for purchase in Milan at Slam Jam, One Block Down, and END Clothing.
For more information on the brand and its collections, visit ASICS's website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for ASICS as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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