Zack Bia Celebrates Field Trip Recordings Launch With an ASICS GEL-KAYANO 14 Collab
Limited to 200 pairs that will only be gifted to friends and family.
The realms of music and sneakers often collide in today’s footwear sphere. We’ve seen artists tapped by multiple brands for actual collaborations or campaigns, and now Zack Bia is chiming in on the action by teaming up with ASICS for a GEL-KAYANO 14 collaboration that celebrates the launch of his independent record label Field Trip Recordings.
“It has always been a dream of mine to design/collaborate on a sneaker”, Bia tells HYPEBEAST. “As we got to a place where this opportunity became available to us, there was such a natural fit with the ASICS team that we caught early in our conversations even from the genuine enthusiasm they expressed and the freedom they were looking to give us on the project. There was also a deep love for the GEL-KAYANO 14’s actual utility as a running shoe but also the design and silhouette, and the fact that our team felt like we loved the sneaker on multiple fronts was why it kept catching our eye.”
Bia and his friend Max Arkin worked teeter tottered back and forth with various themes and palettes for the design, but ultimately decided that a minimalistic approach was going to be the most logical. The former has always loved how white sneakers aged over time, which is why the majority of the base layer is done up with an angelic finish. Parked out back are heel counters and overlays that are dripped in stark black while the lateral rears split their branding between bold red “GEL-KAYANO 14” hits on the left side and the label’s moniker on the right shoe. Exposed GEL cushioning on the midsoles come readied with aged yellow exteriors.
Only 200 pairs of this colorway exist worldwide, all of which will only be gifted to friends and family. “As we focus on the music and treat these design projects as really fun opportunities that build the community around the music we are releasing”, Bia said. “The shoes were designed by friends and for friends, and we felt not bringing them to market was a more intimate way of doing things, especially with our first sneaker release ever.”
In other news, ASICS debuted its all-new “ACTIBREEZE 3D” slides.
