Summary:
- ASICS SportStyle and HSDT release the GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS shoe with design elements pulled from New York's industrial infrastructure
- Campaign features Nas and Raekwon with colorways linked to their debut albums Illmatic and Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
- Release date set for January 16, 2026, priced at $170 USD through ASICS stores and retail partners
ASICS SportStyle partners with HSDT on a new Signature Series release. The GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS shoe takes the original GEL-NYC silhouette and adjusts proportions while adding updated comfort features. The design pulls visual references from New York City's built environment.
The project centers on what HSDT calls "The Architecture of Everyday Life." This means looking at the city's functional infrastructure. Scaffolding, steel beams, mesh fences, utility grates, oxidized metal surfaces. These are the elements people walk past without thinking. The shoe translates this visual vocabulary into wearable form.
The campaign was shot across New York City locations. Nas appears in the campaign, as does Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan. Each artist connects to a specific colorway. The color schemes reference the physical spaces tied to Illmatic and Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Both albums came out of specific New York neighborhoods in the 1990s. The records captured those environments in sound. The shoe colorways attempt to do the same through material and tone.
Beyond the two hip-hop figures, the campaign includes Throwing Fits, A$AP Twelvyy, Lichen, Malcolm Ransome and Shane Davis from Public Records. The selection represents different parts of New York's music and style networks. Casting spans record shops, studios, neighborhood blocks and nightlife spaces.
The shoe builds on archival ASICS running technology. The GEL cushioning system comes from the brand's performance heritage. The updated version adjusts the midsole geometry and adds material to high-wear zones. The upper uses layered mesh and synthetic panels. Color blocking follows industrial tones. Grays, rusted oranges, steel blues, concrete whites.
ASICS founded its work on the principle "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body." The phrase comes from the Latin motto "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano," which forms the ASICS acronym. HSDT connects this idea to urban life. The interpretation here is not about escape or retreat. Instead, the focus is on moving through the city with intention. The shoe is meant for people who navigate crowded sidewalks, subway platforms, street corners. Movement as a daily practice rather than a weekend ritual.
New York City operates on constant motion. The built environment reflects this. Temporary structures become permanent. Scaffolding stays up for years. Chain-link fences surround empty lots. Street grates let subway air rise to the surface. These are not design choices made for aesthetics. They exist because the city needs them to function. The GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS shoe draws from this logic. Form follows function, then accumulates meaning over time.
The original GEL-NYC launched as part of ASICS SportStyle's archive-based approach. The brand revisits older models and recontextualizes them for current use. The 2.0 version adjusts fit and adds durability. The tongue sits higher. The lacing system provides better lockdown. The outsole uses harder rubber compounds in the heel and forefoot.
The HSDT collaboration marks another entry in ASICS' Signature Series. Previous projects in this line have paired the brand with designers, artists and collectives who work outside traditional sportswear channels. The approach gives each release a distinct visual and conceptual framework. This one focuses on place, memory and the textures of urban life.
The GEL-NYC 2.0 SSHS shoe released globally on January 16, 2026. Retail price was set at $170 USD. The shoe are available in unisex sizing. You will find it at ASICS stores, on asics.com and through select retail partners. The release includes multiple colorways tied to the campaign themes.
The project connects product design to cultural reference points. The shoe exists as both functional footwear and a response to place. Whether people recognize the references or simply want a comfortable shoe for city life, the object serves both purposes. New York's infrastructure becomes a design language. The shoe becomes a way to carry that language through daily movement.