Behind the GEL-KAYANO With the Man Who Started it All: Toshikazu Kayano
Kobe, Japan has two legendary exports: their beef, and the ASICS family. Kicking off in 1993, the KAYANO line is one of the longest-running and most consistent performance shoe franchises of all time. Toshikazu Kayano, the label's namesake, was given the challenge of crafting a cutting-edge, all-purpose runner. He drew inspiration from his surroundings, and the GEL-KAYANO Trainer was born – setting the stage for supremacy.
It’s been over 30 years since Kayano’s first creation, and the GEL-injected models have not only remained fan-favourites for runners, but many have transitioned into strong streetstyle heaters that command respect on release calendars.
There’s lots to know about the GEL-KAYANO line (like why the KAYANO 9 was never sold in Japan!) so we sat down with the legend Toshikazu Kayano to talk about innovation, design and stag beetles!
Take us back to the beginning. What was the mission behind the very first GEL-KAYANO, and how radical did it feel at the time?
In short, it was design innovation. This is the mission I set for myself. To enhance existing product designs, my design process was intended to create unique design concepts and products with functional, cutting-edge technology and a distinctive appearance. For me it is important to utilise a designer’s sensibility and emotional storytelling in sports shoe design.
Of course, compatibility with functionality and technological development is also important. If asked whether sensibility or functionality comes first, functionality takes priority. The focus is on problems people face during sports, functional challenges, and areas for improvement in sports shoes. Meanwhile, from a designer's perspective, we extract keywords based on the dynamism of muscles, the energy and passion felt from whole-body movements, and beauty. We translate these keywords into elements found in nature or industrial products. Once the motif is determined, we set an overall theme. This is the creative direction from a designer's perspective. The design direction is determined by the theme and motif.
Specifically, for the GEL-KAYANO Trainer, the theme (creative direction) was 'ARMOUR', and the motif (design direction) was 'STAG BEETLE'. What elements are necessary for a running shoe that can also be used in gym training? We modelled the design after the stag beetle's characteristics to achieve a durable 360-degree structure, aggressive movement, attacking motion, speedy movement, and efficient motion. Although this design thinking wasn't understood by many at the time, it was realised through the understanding of the American sales company's marketing team.
This design thinking is based on the paradigm shift method that founder Kihachiro Onitsuka used when he applied the structure of octopus suction cups to design non-slip basketball shoe soles. In other words, it's an innovative design thinking approach that inherits founder Onitsuka's ‘original manufacturing DNA’ while learning from the past to create something new.
Across 30-plus models, the KAYANO has packed in all manner of tech from skeletal support structures to FlyteFoam midsoles. Which breakthrough do you consider a true game-changer in the line’s history?
Since the 1980s our running shoes have been defined and systematised as 'fitness running shoes' to align with global health and lifestyle trends. However, the turning point came with the release of the GEL-KAYANO VI in 2000. The shift to 'performance running shoes', which pursued scientific and functional performance, is considered the beginning of innovative progress. This began with the introduction of the IMPACT GUIDANCE SYSTEM (IGS), the functional optimal design philosophy of the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS).
The actual shift from 'fitness running shoes' to 'performance running shoes' system occurred in 2005. Subsequently, both manufacturing and marketing approaches underwent significant changes. While the intended audience at the time was a broad customer base that included fun runners and entry-level runners, due to changes in the times and trends, user segmentation has changed. The customer base shifted towards younger people, with a composition that incorporates both daily runners and serious runners. So we are constantly striving for more innovation in this regard.
How have you seen running shoes evolve over the last 30 years? Which developments have surprised you?
The diversification of running shoes. The GEL-KAYANO Trainer's challenge to capture both performance-oriented and lifestyle-oriented users through a single shoe has now evolved into separate markets for Performance and SportStyle, with each market valuing its own distinct qualities. Performance running shoes are evaluated for their pursuit of lighter weight and enhanced comfort, while SportStyle shoes are valued for their storytelling, leading to collaborations with many influential brands and accounts. It has been surprising to me to see this differentiation among users of running shoes.
Many of the original KAYANO models in the franchise have naturally progressed from running into the lifestyle sphere. How important was aesthetics when designing the early models in the series?
I think beautiful designs can emerge spontaneously from functional improvements, by identifying issues and solutions. Since shoes are meant for people, aesthetic elements can arise from both technical engineering solutions and addressing users' emotional needs (their heartstrings). Aesthetic elements are perceived differently by each individual. There are cases where designers (creators) can incorporate aesthetic elements at their discretion, and cases where they cannot. Sometimes, aesthetic qualities emerge spontaneously without deliberate effort, simply from development and design knowledge, experience and skills. There are also cases where shoes born from trial and error based on the demands of the time, company strategy and direction are appreciated later, and the product itself naturally receives aesthetic recognition (even without intentionally incorporating aesthetic elements at the time).
Whether it's subjective or objective, I think evaluations change depending on the era. For example, here in Japan, the GEL-KAYANO was described as unattractive and heavy for quite a while. Thus I believe if you’re told to create a fashionable shoe right from the start, it’s probably not going to happen. Speaking subjectively, as a creator, I have conducted shoe design development believing in my own inspiration and imagination, following the manufacturing knowledge, functionality and technology I learned at ASICS – along with my experience and sensibility, including my upbringing, hobbies and life perspective. I take pride in having materialised, through trial and error from a design perspective, what customers want, what I want, what has value, and what is differentiated from others. During this process, I rarely consciously considered or intended aesthetic elements. This is because aesthetic elements emerge spontaneously from knowledge, experience and sensibility.
Fortunately, at that time, I had to handle planning, design and development alone, and it was the dawn of exploring overseas markets for ASICS, which allowed me freedom in creation. If pressed, the criterion for aesthetic elements was what I was satisfied with and wanted myself. In a sense, it might have been my designer's ego. However, since shoes cannot be made by one person alone, understanding from those around you is essential. At that time, there weren't many people who understood new-age design thinking, so I had no choice but to build trust through achievements.
Above all, I persistently pursued ASICS-like functional designs and unique product designs that neither ASICS nor other companies had. I'm pleased that these efforts are now being recognised as aesthetic elements as time has passed.
From the updated Duomax for the KAYANO 6, extra gel in the KAYANO 15 to FF BLAST PLUS in the KAYANO 32, what has been your favourite innovation in the KAYANO franchise?
My favourite innovation is the IMPACT GUIDANCE SYSTEM (IGS).
GEL-KAYANO VI brought about ‘technological innovation’. Until then, the GEL-KAYANO series, from the original GEL-KAYANO Trainer to the GEL-KAYANO V, consisted of products born from a 'design innovation' process from a designer's perspective. At the time of the GEL-KAYANO VI, the ISS started planning a new design element in 'scientific and functional verification and quantification', and an 'optimal functional design philosophy' called IGS that strengthened ASICS' performance design. This made it more challenging to balance designer sensibility with scientific aspects. For designers it was a double-edged sword, but there was a sense that it was an excellent opportunity for personal growth.
The KAYANO 9 is a favourite of some SF staffers. Why was this model never sold in Japan?
They were not sold in Japan as the result of multiple deliberations that took place in the company at the time. One of the factors I recall was that in Japan, there has traditionally been a belief that 'lightness' is a virtue in running shoes. Models designed for overseas markets with thick soles and gadgets and devices attached naturally become heavier. In Japan in the early 2000s, there was a preference for lightweight shoes with thin soles that allow for speed, something also related to the physical size of Japanese people. The unusual design may also have been a factor. This model has my name in a daring kanji-style stamp on the tongue.
What do you hope future designers take from your approach to footwear design?
In short, it's about learning from the past to create the future. We should read the past, observe the present, and create the future. I want people to look back in time, analyse cause-and-effect relationships from various angles, and cultivate the imagination to make use of it in future. Particularly in design, we provide support for this. While creating the future, driving innovation and utilising digital technology are important, the ASICS Archive Room contains a lot of valuable physical products and information. In other words, various aspects of the ASICS DNA are managed there. These serve as sources of differentiation from other brands, so I hope future designers actively utilise and learn from them.
Read a breakdown of the ASICS GEL-KAYANO series right here.