Asics GT-2160 ‘KOGARASHI’; when the cold weather arrives

Leading European retailers worked together to create the GT-2160, which brings back a secret Eastern term.

For the first time ever, the top retailers in Europe work together on the Asics GT-2160 KOGARASHI. The end result, which is based on a Japanese concept, is the satisfying conclusion to a narrative that travels from West to East while retracing Asics’ original route from East to West.

At Asics headquarters, nine of the top Asics stores in Europe gathered in secrecy. They had been sent by Asics to work on a new project that required their cooperation. They were divided into teams and mixed in a workshop to come up with a concept for the Asics GT-2160. The various shops had to work together to develop ideas before evaluating them to determine a winner.

The shoe was something you were already familiar with. A design that preserved the GT-2000 series’ design language, a dynamic structure, and cutting-edge cushioning that has long mesmerised generations of runners. True to its era, the second decade of the 2000s, it kept details like the multi-layer structure that combines synthetic and mesh elements, the segmented midsole, or the GEL inserts in the midsole, which still offer comfort, stability, and protection today. Now that tech and vintage are coming together, the GT-2160 is making a comeback as its flagship.

The Far East, the home of Asics, provided the concept that would unify the nine stores with their diverse sizes, tastes, and locations.

Kogarashi is a Japanese term that can only be understood in Japanese and is used to describe the precise moment when bad weather feels like it is coming. It might be a shift in the colour of the trees, a gust of wind, or the first time you reach for a warm item of clothing. The term’s origins can be traced back to nature, literally meaning “death of the trees” and referring to the moment when their leaves drop. But Kogarashi is much more than that. It is the calm discovery of what is to come, a state of calm that allows you to perceive details that others would miss, active listening to what is going on around you. It is the sign that indicates the end of a stage, which only those who understand what is important can recognise.

Based on the concept of Kogarashi as the point at which the temperature begins to change, an Asics GT-2160 has been created in cool tones with details in orange, green, and yellow, and topped off with a heat map on the insole.

In FOOTDISTRICT, we interpreted Kogarashi as an announcement of temperature changes on the news of a fictitious television station, FOOTDISTRICT TV. Cold, rainy, and wintry weather surprises even the weatherman, who is for once the first to suffer as a result of his mistakes.

The GT-2160 KOGARASHI is an example of Asics design, of the importance of the concepts linked to the brand and also of the collaborative work between different European shops that make up its most innovative category.

This special edition of the GT-2160 KOGARASHI, available only at TOMO stores that participated in the workshop, will be available from the 21st at FOOTDISTRICT.