Asics Gel Lyte

Performance meets retro

A long time ago! The running boom of the 1980s created a whole new dynamic among the major sports shoe manufacturers and sparked a real competition. Everyone wanted to produce the best running shoes, wanted to equip the most successful athletes and take them to the winners' podium. After the head-to-head race between the Swoosh and ASICS, Nike developed the Air unit and the Japanese brand developed gel technology. With great success - because to this day, the ASICS Gel Lyte is one of the most successful running shoes ever.

The birth of a running icon

The international company has had a great vision since its foundation: after his war service, the Japanese Kihachiro Onitsuka had the desire to push young people through sporting activities and founded today's sportswear brand ASICS in 1949. Right from the start, he was not deterred by challenges and also dared to tackle heavy models such as basketball shoes. After launching several very successful models for the court and athletes in other areas, the first two running shoes with the famous αGEL cushioning were launched on the market in the 1980s - the Freaks and the first Gel Lyte. The liquid, silicone-based gel in the sole ensures maximum cushioning, comfort and energy recovery to provide athletes with the best possible support.

The hyped model, the ASICS Gel Lyte 3 OG, stormed the market in 1991 with a further development of the innovative sole technology and several other features that revolutionized the running market. Thanks to its good responsiveness and ultra-light weight of just 280 grams, it is still one of the most popular models from ASICS today.

In 2017, there was a big, long-awaited relaunch of the ASICS Gel Lyte to mark the silhouette's 30th anniversary, which was celebrated by many sneakerheads around the world. This was followed by a whole host of hyped versions and collabs, for example with Ronnie Fieg and Patta. As a result, the Gel Lyte has finally joined the ranks of the most popular lifestyle sneakers and is now a fashion icon as well as one of the best running shoes.

The popular styles of the Gel Lyte

The ASICS Gel Lyte is one of the sportswear brand's most successful silhouettes. The cushioning technology and many other features have become the hallmark of the range and a must-have for many sneakerheads and athletes. In fact, there are certain styles from the Gel Lyte line that are absolute favorites and should not be missing from any collection.

The ASICS Gel Lyte 3

Of course, the Gel Lyte 3 is right at the top of the list. Since its release in 1991, the sneaker with the split tongue has repeatedly generated a lot of hype and dominated the pinroll era in the German sneaker scene, among other things. It is therefore not only an excellent running shoe, but also important for street style. With the Patta Gel Lyte, the 3 Series also took off with collabos in 2007. The eye-catcher in red, green and black was the first ever collaboration and an important step in pushing the hype surrounding the sneaker even further. There are now countless hyped collabs on the Kick, including with Ronnie Fieg. The designer, owner and founder of brand and store Kith worked closely with ASICS at the beginning of his career and designed many sneakers. Some of the better-known ones include the Salmon Toe, the Miami Beach and the Flamingo. But the collabos with other stores such as Solebox, Afew or celebrity collectors such as Sean Wotherspoon are also coveted variants.

Further variants of the model

After the Gel Lyte Ultra, the ASICS Gel Lyte 5 caused a huge run on the stores. The style of its predecessor was supplemented with mesh elements and the gel in the heel and forefoot ensure optimum comfort under high loads. Incidentally, the 5 is the version with the most collabos in the range, just behind the Gel Lyte 3!

A particularly popular ASCIS sneaker for women is the Atmos X ASICS GEL-Lyte III "B-Day Dinner". The all-white shoe is a tribute to the collaboration between Atmos and ASICS and was released as a clean version of the OG version to mark the 25th anniversary of the silhouette. Another popular collabo is the ASICS Gel-Lyte 3 AFEW Koi, released in 2015, a red, white and black version with different types of leather. The successor to the collabo came in bright orange - and was no less hyped!

This is why the Gel Lyte

When you hear ASICS, you immediately think of the characteristic Gel cushioning. This technology stands for the best performance with optimum comfort and is partly responsible for the great success of the Gel Lyte series. The so-called Alpha GEL is injected into the EVA midsole at the level of the heel and forefoot and transforms the horizontal force during running into thrust to propel the runner even further and catapult them forward. The gel also ensures high energy recovery and prevents injuries, which is particularly important for professionals. In addition to the optimized gel technology, the split tongue provides an extra dose of stability and ensures good support.

But the Gel Lyte can do even more than technology. Reflective elements on the heel, elaborate colorways and the different materials for the upper have made it a real fashion must-have. The now countless and famous collabos show that the shoe belongs to the absolute sneaker elite.

Although the Gel Lyte models are an important accessory for the street today, they are not just a pretty shoe. For ASICS, the focus has always been on the best performance and optimal support for athletes - and it shows. Every technology has been further optimized over the years, so that with this kick you get a shoe that is comfortable and supports you with every movement - stylish retro look included!