ISSEY MIYAKE teams up with ASICS again: a new low-profile collab sneaker inspired by bamboo shadows

Key takeaways

• After HYPER TAPING sparked plenty of discussion last year, the two brands have unveiled another new collaborative sneaker in the IM MEN Spring/Summer 2027 collection.
• Inspired by bamboo, bamboo shadows, and bamboo materials, the IM MEN Spring/Summer 2027 collection combines natural materials such as organic cotton and bamboo fiber to capture the shifting layers of natural light and shadow.
• Based on ASICS’s classic low-profile running shoes, the new sneaker features a semi-transparent fabric overlay, embossed Tiger Stripes, and ISSEY MIYAKE lettering, revealing understated yet intricate design details.

Remember HYPER TAPING, the first collaborative sneaker from ISSEY MIYAKE and ASICS released last year? Its futuristic wraparound design and streamlined silhouette quickly made it a hot topic in sneaker and fashion circles upon release. This year, the partnership continues with a new collaborative sneaker previewed in the IM MEN Spring/Summer 2027 collection. Reimagining a classic running shoe in a more restrained design language, it has once again drawn plenty of attention.

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Inspired by bamboo shadows, natural imagery runs throughout the collection

Images from IG / @isseymiyakefoot @im_men_official

At this year’s Paris Men’s Fashion Week, IM MEN, ISSEY MIYAKE’s menswear label, presented its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, built around “bamboo, bamboo shadows, and bamboo materials.” Layered patterns, fluid cuts, and shifts of light and shadow evoke glimpses of a bamboo grove swaying in the wind. The collection also makes extensive use of natural materials such as organic cotton and bamboo fiber, bringing a soft, tranquil mood to functional clothing while continuing the brand’s longstanding exploration of materials, construction, and garment craftsmanship.

Yet more than the clothes themselves, the new collaborative sneakers on the models’ feet became the show’s most talked-about focus this season. Based on Sortie, ASICS’s classic low-profile running shoe from the 1980s, the design retains its long, streamlined proportions and covers the upper with a lightweight layer of fabric, creating a veiled, barely-there effect that echoes this season’s “bamboo shadow” concept. The shoes also retain ASICS’s signature Tiger Stripes, with embossed detailing and ISSEY MIYAKE lettering making them more recognizable, while their understated look highlights the brand’s signature attention to craftsmanship.

The yellow, black, and brown colorways are all so beautiful

Images from IG / @isseymiyakefoot @im_men_official

While many recent collaborations focus on logos, colorways, or reissuing classics, IM MEN and ASICS have instead extended the season’s design concept into footwear. From bamboo shadows and materials to layers of light and shadow, every detail echoes the collection’s core language, once again showing ISSEY MIYAKE’s design approach to bringing together craftsmanship, aesthetics, and function. If last year’s HYPER TAPING was an avant-garde design experiment, this new release reimagines the possibilities between sneakers and fashion in a purer, more restrained language.

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