Ever wondered what a sneaker inspired by ice kacang would look like? The latest collaboration between SneakerLAH and Asics Sportstyle Malaysia has the answer.
Their latest collaboration is the Asics Gel-Kayano 20 "Ice Kacang", which is inspired by the iconic shaved ice treat, resulting in a fusion of street style, nostalgia, and full of Malaysian sole, I mean, soul.
This is the fifth such collaboration between SneakerLah, Malaysia’s biggest sneaker event, and Asics. The first one was released in 2019, – the nasi lemak inspired Gel-Kayano 5 OG ‘Nasi Lemak’, followed by another in 2020 inspired by the Petronas Twin Towers – the Gel-Lyte III ‘Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers’.
In 2022, the teh tarik-inspired Gel-Lyte III ‘Teh Tarik’ sneaker, was released, and in 2024, we got the Asics Skyhand OG "Mamee Monster".
Interestingly, the idea for an ice kacang-inspired sneaker was first mooted back in 2018 – it was part of a 'concept bank' of ideas conceived when SneakerLAH and Asics Sportstyle Malaysia were working out their very first collaboration together, which eventually turned out to be the Gel-Kayano 5 OG ‘Nasi Lemak’.
That same concept bank went on to inspire all four collaborations that followed, coming full circle with the Asics Gel-Kayano 20 "Ice Kacang".
"We’ve been championing Malaysian storytelling through all our past collabs, and this is no exception," said Bryan Chin, Founder of SneakerLAH in a press release.
"Ice Kacang" reimagines the beloved Malaysian dessert piece by piece. The upper comes predominantly in white (like the shaved ice at the heart of the dessert), layered with rose pink panelling for the rose syrup, and yellow accents for the sweet corn (jagung) topping.
The 'FluidFit' cage, a criss-cross TPU application across the upper, is designed after the drizzle of evaporated milk.
Inside the shoe, the dual "Gel' technology inserts in the midsole take on a green hue in reference to the cendol found in the dessert, while the "Guidance Trusstic" support system on the outsole is finished in black to represent the grass jelly (cincau).
Red bean detailing runs through the lace eyelets and toebox, and rounding out the silhouette is an outdoor-style lace lock system, a nod to the rugged, trail-ready hardware found on outdoor footwear and a first for the collaboration series.
Retailing at RM899, the limited-edition Asics Gel-Kayano 20 "Ice Kacang" was first available online via a raffle on sneakerlah.com starting Oct 5, and will be officially launched at the LahLahLand event at Mines International Exhibition Convention Centre on Oct 10 and 11.
