At ASICS they discovered Taica in a not so conventional way; thanks to a newspaper that published the data about the investigation. Soon after, ASICS and Taica teamed up to develop a process of the GEL capsules that allowed for its use in footwear.
ASICS GEL-KINSEI, THE GEL REVOLUTION
A decade after the appearance of the then called Alpha GEL, ASICS tried to turn that primitive cushioning system from the ‘80s into the definitive model for absorbing impact. The base was the component found by Taica, a company specialised in the research and development of materials that found in hermetic pads their inspiration. Alpha GEL was a material with a great capacity to absorb impact that is used in helmets, telephones, motors (to reduce vibrations) and cameras (to better the grip areas).
The first sneakers with GEL appeared in 1986 in a small edition for the ASICS Tiger Freaks in Japan and soon after with the GT-II, available all around the world. The GEL was the cushioning system that defined ASICS’ success, but during the nineties, the investigation took them even further, until achieving the definitive system. The first tests in 1998 that never got to see the light of day tried to completely eliminate the classic foam, which took them to create types of GEL with different properties that adapted themselves to the different needs of the tread.
The final result reached stores in 2006 with the ASICS GEL-Kinsei and it was something completely different from anything created by ASICS. Three sections of the visible GEL technology in the backside cushioned the impact and adapted itself to the stability of each situation, with a heel that was embraced by a rigid plate to provide an excellent transition to the tread.
For the upper, the designer Hisanori Fujita was inspired by the samurai armour and their katanas. Protection that should allow for freedom of movement that was completed with sharp shapes in the heel. An aggressive style that was accentuated by the metallic colours and technology inherited by the Kayano saga that placed it as the most technologically advanced sneaker. It wasn’t just about an innovative sneaker, its risky style took it from performance to the streets.
Thirteen years after the launch of the ASICS GEl-Kinsei OG the original lines are back and it keeps with a groundbreaking style that reinforces its original colours.
