The Asics Gel-Lyte III has always been an absolute cult classic. The silhouette is underrated, but it’s also one of the more creative looks out there with its designers always using a plethora of colorways and materials to explore new looks for it.
This latest “Pearl” colorway from Asics and END is no different. It uses luxury materials to give the shoe one of its latest and cleanest updates.
But it’s also a swan song, of sorts, for Gel-Lyte III creator Shigeyuki Mitsui.
At the end of 2020, Mitsui retired after spending decades designing with Asics. The Gel-Lyte III was his masterpiece. This is one of the final renditions of the shoe that released before he took his leave.
Asics is archiving some of the original colors of the Gel-Lyte III along with him. So while this shoe is the latest, luxurious take on such a classic silhouette, it’s also a goodbye.
Sykes talks about that in this latest episode of Special Delivery, recorded in 2020. You won’t want to miss it.