Curated style by Kiko Kostadinov Studio and ASICS SportStyle development team. The UB9-S GEL-KAYANO 20 sneaker draws inspiration from the themes of Interlaced Assemblages, Functional Utopias, and Mino Ceramics. Soft textures are combined with the idea of handcrafted elements found in iconic artwork. By creating matte and washed color appearances, the design team was able to enhance the heritage running shoe's archival shape and construction. Contrasted with grid-like patterns and bold opaque colors, the Functional Utopia inspired variations apply direct correlations with nature. These glossy primary colorways are offset with metallic structures that accentuate the double-layer mesh materialization. The designers also explored Mino ceramic influences by investigating the contemporary processes of the rust-like qualities that appear in Mino glazes. This process looks to imagery as a vessel with degraded colors that have the ability to stand the test of time.