Modern Simplicity. Scribbled on one of the design sketch pages of the ASICS GEL-Lyte EVO NT, that is indeed the key concept of the new EVO line from ASICS Tiger. Using two of the brand’s most iconic retro running shoes, the GEL-Lyte III from 1990 and the GEL-Kayano Trainer from 1993, the EVO line debuts with streamlined updates to each recognizable silhouette.
But it’s not just a sleeker look for the classic sneakers that is achieved by the EVO collection. The new redesigns also feature the modern technology of ASICS borrowed from their current performance running footwear—to ensure today’s level of maximum comfort in the shell of the retro silhouettes.
The most radically redesigned of the two EVO silhouettes, the GEL-Lyte III’s update process can be mapped within the design sketches the brand has shared with us. For the boldest move of the re-imagination of the GEL-Lyte III, gone is the shoe’s iconic split tongue in favor of a standard down-the-middle tongue design. On the upper you’ll also find that the usual layered paneling is stripped away, with a no-sew mesh and TPU build taking its place that still retains the iconic lines of the original.
Also diagrammed in the design sketches is the all-new groundbreaking tooling for the modernized GEL-Lyte III, featuring the brand’s proprietary FluidRide EVA foam cushioning the entire foot while visible GEL pads in the heel. This formula of modern technology paired with recognizable heritage all adds up to the ASICS GEL-Lyte EVO NT, a sneaker that has just been made available for purchase recently.