Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS Gel Sokat 2 Infinity 'Coffee'
Colorway: Coffee · Style code: 1023A011-200 · Release date: August 8, 2019 · Price: $400 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS Gel Sokat Infinity 2 'Carrier Grey' (1023A011-020) · ASICS Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS Ilargi FF 'Carbon' (1203A982-001) · ASICS GelStyrax Kiko Kostadinov Sneakers (1203A500-001) · ASICS GelDelva 1 Kiko Kostadinov Sneakers (1013A041-200) · ASICS GelNepxa Kiko Kostadinov Sneakers (1023A009-500)
This one arrived by way of a runway rather than a product calendar: the Sokat 2 Infinity was first shown as part of Kiko Kostadinov's Fall/Winter 2019 collection, then put on general sale that August. The order matters, because it explains details that make no sense as running-shoe features and perfect sense as clothing details: the spiraling insignia on the panel, the textile heel, the way molded TPU is used as a decorative shell over brown mesh rather than as reinforcement.
The most telling borrow is the webbing across the heel counter, taken from the Dan Gable Ultimate, an existing model in ASICS' own catalogue. Kostadinov's arrangement with the company, which started in 2018, was built around drawing new silhouettes instead of recoloring old ones, but the parts bin stayed open, and the series quotes older ASICS footwear in fragments throughout.
Underneath, it is a running shoe: GEL runs the full length of the midsole and the outsole is semi-translucent rubber, so the bottom half reads as light even where the upper does not. Coffee keeps everything in browns, which is the least disruptive way to present a build this busy.