[Update 8 Nov 2023] A new “White/Navy” colorway of the Toyoda Gosei x ASICS Gel-Sonoma 15-50 has now emerged. Check out the pair via the gallery above and expect a release within the month of November. Stay tuned here for further updates.

We have a problem: the sneaker industry is one of the biggest carbon polluters and our love for sneakers further perpetuates this. With the global climate crisis intensifying, major footwear brands have stepped up and started introducing a slew of new measures including innovative sneaker technology and swapping carbon-intensive materials for more sustainable ones.

For now, however, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for our sneaker problem. That doesn’t mean we stop trying though. In a week’s time, we’ll have another contender in the sustainable sneaker race. ASICS, together with Japanese auto parts manufacturer Toyoda Gosei, will be dropping an all-new sneaker under its sustainability range—the ASICS Gel-Sonoma 15-50 “Toyoda Gosei”.

The Gel-Sonoma 15-50 “Toyoda Gosei” doesn’t look particularly different from other ASICS models but that’s the point. On this special collaboration, the two Japanese companies worked together to come up with a clever sneaker option that complements each other nicely.

Toyoda Gosei, being part of the automobile industry, is committed to reducing waste during its manufacturing processes. One of the parts that Toyoda Gosei produces is airbags, whose fabric is sturdy and flexible. This presents an opportunity for both brands—excess fabric from the production of airbags is usually disposed of but what if this fabric is put to better use?

On the Gel-Sonoma 15-50 “Toyoda Gosei”, ASICS decides to dress the upper in the aforementioned fabric off-cut. The shoemaker then layers the white airbag fabric with red stitching, and suede and TPU overlays in off-white hues.

The result? A classic-looking silhouette that is sleek and clean but offers durability and comfort for the wearer. It is unclear if this collaborative Gel-Sonoma 15-50 is a one-off partnership between ASICS and Toyoda Gosei but it sure is a good start and sign of things to come.

The ASICS Gel-Sonoma 15-50 “Toyoda Gosei” will be released in Japan on 26 January for JPY16,500 (~US$127). Take an early look via the image gallery above and stay tuned for more ASICS-related news in this space.