asphaltgold & ASICS Launch Buttery-Soft GEL-DS Trainer

Inspired by its hometown of Darmstadt, retailer asphaltgold joins ASICS for a rework of the Japanese company’s Gel-DS Trainer, dubbed “Jugendstil” as a nod to the late 19th century Art Nouveau movement in Germany. The chunky runner is granted an eye-pleasingly versatile colorway through a rich suede upper underlined with subtle detailing.

The artist colony of Mathildenhöhe influenced the shoe’s opulent hues, with the beige structures referenced in the “Evening Sand” tone by the supple suede seen throughout and the “Rose Taupe” accents informed by the colony’s colorful sculptural detailing. Light-to-dark shading on the upper evokes the site’s shapely buildings, tonal detailing towards the heel of the outsole balances the bright midsole and a small “asphaltgold”-branded tag by the ankle emphasizes the sneaker’s collaborative origin.

The collaborative “Jugendstil” drops at asphalthold’s website on March 17 for 140€ EUR, approximately $170 USD. To buy it, customers can head to asphaltgold’s store on March 16 and pay 10€ EUR (about $12 USD) for a ticket that reserves their desired size, which can then be cashed in the following day at a launch party at the Designhouse Darmstadt.

Elsewhere, the collaborative BEAMS x ASICS Gel Mai is set to receive a wider release in the coming weeks.