"Runwalk" has transcended the boundaries between leather shoes and sneakers, gaining recognition as a unique type of footwear. We spoke to them about the ideals and aspirations behind its further evolution.

The future of leather shoes, guided by GEL-embedded soles.

In recent years, the ASICS Runwalk shoes have become a familiar name in various contexts. This time, the shoe exhibition will present a new frontier for Runwalk: "ASICS RUNWALK LEAD".

"The idea was to incorporate sports shoes into dressy styles, and it took over three years to develop."

This is according to Yuji Miura of the Walking Design Team, who has been involved in the development from the beginning. Incidentally, the name "LEAD" is an acronym for "Life to Enjoy, Active, Dynamic," and these keywords were derived from a re-examination of the concept of "restoring humanity with health and rich sensibilities," which ASICS founder Kihachiro Onitsuka put forward when he started ASICS Walking in 1983, taking into account the current situation. Miura, who was a member of the planning team at the time, says the following:

"Its distinguishing feature is the combination of a traditional dress shoe style and a sole equipped with shock-absorbing GEL material, both in terms of functionality, construction, and appearance."

The upper is made from kip leather tanned domestically from French hides, and constructed using the Bolognese method for a comfortable, foot-hugging fit. Meanwhile, the sole has been refined through discussions with sports shoe developers and repeated testing at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science, resulting in a soft, foot-hugging fit, including the GEL shock-absorbing material that provides cushioning. Furthermore, the last was developed from scratch for this model.

The final sample of the ASICS Runwalk Lead. The new round-toe last shape was designed based on foot shape data from over 1 million people.

"In the world of leather shoes, the Asics Runwalk Lead is, in a sense, the future of evolution."

Mr. Miura's clear and concise words are also derived from his own experiences. After studying shoes at Cordwainers College in England, Mr. Miura worked as a shoe designer for various brands in Italy, and in the process, he began to question the nature of leather shoes, and in particular, leather soles.

"With leather soles made using a method that hasn't changed for over 100 years, we couldn't see any further possibilities in shoemaking. We thought that incorporating this kind of technology into shoemaking would be the way to break through the status quo and create new shoes for the future."

He also mentioned that his current interest as a designer lies in how to further develop the "dress sporty shoe" style that this new shoe has established.

"This style reflects the current business scene, where sneakers are too casual and dress shoes are too formal. We want to further pursue shoes that bring joy to wear, making you more active, starting with comfortable walking."

Yuji Miura
She is a member of the ASICS Walking Design Team. She studied shoe design at Cordwainers College in the UK, and after graduating, worked as a shoe designer in Italy before joining ASICS. She has also worked on collaborations between Runwalk and select shops.

Photographs: Takao Ohta
Text: Yukihiro Sugawara

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