July 19, 2022

ASICS Cooks Up a GEL-LYTE III Colorway Inspired by Japanese Beef

The ASICS GEL-Lyte III has been the conduit for some weird concepts, but this new edition almost literally takes home the meat tray prize for its beefy execution. Dubbed the ‘Prime’ in reference to the finest cut of meat available, the furry pair celebrates some of the best edible product that Japan offers. And at this stage, it appears that the shoes will only be available in the land of the rising sun too.

Per translation, these GL3s have been developed with the consultation of Japanese comedian and renowned beef lover, Jimon Terakado. The brief has perhaps been taken very literally, as the uppers are entirely made from cowhide to reference the black coat of the country’s finest bovines. Embroidered in gold on the heels are ‘Kobe’, ‘Matsusaka’ and ‘Omi’, three prized varieties of beef named after the region whence they originate. The nods to these quality cuts is also made obvious in the gold ‘PRIME’ text on the heel counter in place of the ASICS name.

Furthermore, black leather lines the inside of the shoes, before revealing a delectable (at least to carnivorous sneakerheads) detail: insoles printed with some extremely marbled beef graphics. It’s a pretty amusing touch that can be complemented with some over-the-top meat patterned socks created by retailer atmos and NATURE j. Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, anyone?