ASICS GEL-KAYANO’s 30-Year Journey — Part 1
A lot of shoe franchises come and go. Some are not generating sufficient sales volume for continuing the manufacturing production, some are shoved aside to make way for new designs. There are only a handful of shoe franchises that’s still moving, even for three decades. One of them is the ASICS GEL-KAYANO, the longest running footwear franchise from ASICS, now in its 30th iteration.
The GEL-KAYANO is widely regarded as one of the leading stability running shoes. Its reliable protection, support and cushioning are helping everyday runners achieve their personal best and taking people to go the distance. Each new version focuses on applying the latest and best technology to make the shoe better and accommodate the ever-changing needs of runners.
Not only loved by runners, the GEL-KAYANO also found its way to the fashion conversation. The franchise is able to transcend their performance roots and become a cultural phenomenon, especially after the brand repurposed the series renditions for lifestyle. Let’s look back at the GEL-KAYANO journey over the last 30 years.
The Humble Beginning
The GEL-KAYANO story started with a guy named Toshikazu Kayano, an industrial designer graduate from Osaka University of Arts, who joined ASICS Corporation in 1987. In his early days at the company, he was involved in the development of running models like GEL-SAGA and basketball models like GEL-EXTREME, which was his first design project with ASICS. At that time, ASICS became well-known and popular in the United States. They expanded beyond running and started to make a name for themselves in basketball.
In the late 1980s, a designer was asked to come up with a new running shoe for the brand to replace the X-Caliber, which was released in 1982. The designer came up with GT-Cool Express, an impressive shoe that utilized a compression molded EVA with Porous GEL in the forefoot and the never seen visible Super GEL in the back. However, the leaders of ASICS were not fully convinced with the design. So, they asked the young Toshikazu Kayano to think of a successor with fresh design that would embody the brand’s latest technology. ASICS gave Kayano-san all the freedom to create the shoe without budget or design constraints.
After working over 30 sketches, Kayano-san and ASICS felt the outputs were still far from the intended idea. The company, then, sent Kayano-san to the United States where he could work more closely with the product marketing team. At a late night team dinner, Kayano-san suddenly got enlightened and started to sketch his design on a napkin. He found inspiration from an insect that he has loved since he was a kid: the stag beetle. In Kayano-san’s new shoe design, the hard exoskeleton of the beetle inspired the functionality aspect, the antlers became the shoe’s distinctive outsole groove, and the insect’s palette influenced the colourway.
GEL-KAYANO TRAINER
In 1993, the “GEL-KAYANO TRAINER’’ was released as a product for the United States. The shoe was named after Kayano-san because there were not many words beginning with “K” used in code names. His name was also deemed catchy and easy for an English-speaking audience to pronounce. For the “TRAINER”, it was derived from the design concept of the shoe which was oriented towards cross-training. Mr. Onitsuka, ASICS founder, actually was opposed to naming products after designers. Later, when he interviewed Kayano-san and saw the actual running shoes, he decided to give it a go.
The GEL-KAYANO TRAINER featured all the latest ASICS technology at the time in stability and running. There was a Mono-Sock fit system that comfortably wrapped the wearer’s foot, a Coolmax-lined upper for breathability and a Hytrel Exoskeleton that reinforced the mesh upper for supporting swift movements that involve agility. The inclusion of state-of-the-art visible Theta GEL at the heel and porous P-GEL along the forefoot completely blend the excellent support with ample cushioning. With such features, the GEL-KAYANO TRAINER quickly became a favorite. In the first year, more than 47,000 pairs were produced, a figure beyond what ASICS have achieved.
Early Models
Since the GEL-KAYANO TRAINER, ASICS design team have incorporated innovation into the evolving design of the GEL-KAYANO based on three approaches of functionality, advanced technology, and unique design. Their work was also driven by the spirit of ‘Kaizen’, which refers to continuous gradual improvement. So, there is a continuity between one model and the next model.
The first five Kayano models introduced ASICS’s key technology that would later be improved in subsequent models such as Trusstic, DuoMax, and AHAR. For the sixth Kayano, ASICS’ ISS — Institute of Sports Science — got involved in the development process. The GEL-KAYANO became more scientific and features began to be evaluated by numbers. It was also the first Kayano to bear the IGS [Impact Guidance System] label, ASICS’s new technology that brings together different technical features to work together for more natural transition of the footprint. The seventh Kayano introduced ASICS patented midsole, SpEVA, which has better elasticity than the conventional EVA. ASICS also launched a numbered special edition GEL-KAYANO 7 in silver colorway with duralumin case limited to 2001 pairs. Another limited edition also seen in the eight Kayano. This time the Kayano was gold and came with a cherrywood box.
For the 18th iteration, ASICS decided to prioritize eco-friendly manufacturing methods even more. They collaborated with MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] to reduce the model’s CO2 production by 20 percent. The GEL-KAYANO 18 was one of the first products that became the basis of sustainability which was released in 2012.
By 2013, the GEL-KAYANO reached its 20th series. For this model, Yoshiasu Ando took over the design position, replacing the former designer who was responsible for 5 previous series. He came up with the concept of “Gran Turismo” and its landscape as if runners can run elegantly without stopping. Ando-san’s idea was manifested by updating the Biomorphic Fit to FluidFit. This new technology offered full flexibility compared to Biomorphic Fit’s partial flexibility for more enjoyable long distance running experience. Besides the general release, ASICS also released a limited edition 20th anniversary special pack. In the pack, you will find the first Gel Kayano shoe from 1993, built to the exact specifications as the original. Along with it, there is also a new Gel Kayano 20 shoe in a special anniversary color. This special package is limited to 1,993 sets worldwide.
To be continue…
