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September 24, 2026 - Silicon Valley, CA

ASICS SportStyle and Amsterdam designer Camiel Fortgens are taking apart the familiar language of technical running footwear and rebuilding it through visible handwork. Their GEL-CUMULUS 16 collaboration launches ASICS' new Crafts for Mind project and turns the silhouette into two unconventional constructions: a Mary Jane-inspired version and a VELCRO style.

Instead of hiding the making process, the shoes foreground it. Layered leather patches, irregular stitching and hand-cut overlays sit directly over the GEL-CUMULUS 16's technical foundation, creating something that feels closer to a workshop prototype than a conventional performance collaboration.

Imperfection Becomes the Detail

That contrast is the strongest part of the project. Technical sneakers are normally engineered around repeatability and clean execution. Fortgens moves in the opposite direction, allowing seams, patches and exposed construction to become the design language.

The result sits between running footwear, reconstructed fashion and craft object. Rather than treating an established sneaker as untouchable, the collaboration treats it as raw material that can be cut apart, simplified and rebuilt.

Crafts for Mind

The project also introduces ASICS' Crafts for Mind initiative, connecting creativity with mental well-being. A portion of proceeds will support the FFort Foundation and its art and storytelling programs for young adults following cancer treatment.

Amsterdam First

The green editions release September 24, 2026 at Tillatec in Amsterdam. Brown versions are scheduled to follow in October through Dover Street Market London and the Camiel Fortgens flagship store in Amsterdam.

For KOLAK Archive, the larger idea is simple: technology does not have to erase evidence of the hand. Some of the most interesting footwear now comes from letting advanced sneaker engineering and imperfect human construction occupy the same object.

Source: Hypebeast — Camiel Fortgens x ASICS SportStyle GEL-CUMULUS 16.