While Asics' skate division only dates back to just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, its history with the sport goes much further back. Skaters have turned to models such as the Fabre and Gel-PTG due to their durable leather uppers and thin soles that allow for a better feel of the board. The main Asics line also recently teased a collaboration with whimsical Montreal Skate Shop Dime, showing that its relationships with skate brands is alive and well. Asics Skateboarding only released a small collection in 2020 consisting of a few Gel-Flexkee colorways, it seems something much larger is on the horizon based on its recent Instagram posts.
Asics Skateboarding has partnered with professional skaters Akwasí Owusu, Emile Laurent — and most notably, Gino Iannucci, who received his own SB Dunk High in 2017. Their appearance in promotional imagery teases a wider launch for Asics' skate division, and possible sneaker and apparel releases can also be seen in the campaign.
While it can’t be said for sure that Gino’s company POETS will see a collaboration, it’s certainly a possibility. If anything can be taken from past collaborations under his belt, we can expect some shades of blue. In the meantime, shops are posting “7.7.2023” as the captions for promotional imagery, which means we should find out quite soon what Asics Skateboarding has up its sleeve.
