The Volcano colorway holds a special place in Kith’s, Asics’s, and my personal timelines. Its original release happened at a pivotal time for our market, as classic running silhouettes began to take center stage and Kith started gaining more widespread attention than ever before. Through this colorway I re-introduced the Gel Lyte V, which was a risk, but one that was necessary to take to push the market forward. Back then I remember thinking how strong that colorway could have been on the Gel Lyte III, but also felt that too many people were hopping on that silhouette. It was as important then as it is today that I differentiate myself and evolve with each release.

The Gel Diablo silhouette has been one of the most elusive Asics models to me. I had been trying to bring this silhouette back for years now, but the old mold had been lost and it took time to develop it again. Finally, during mid-last year, I was told it was ready. I immediately conceptualized a variety of different approaches, however its name kept bringing me back to a fiery-themed palette, which led my mind to the Volcano. I have always enjoyed deconstructing and rebuilding colorways, as its very challenging. After a few samples, I landed on the final design which is a unique takedown of the original. However, for the second coming of the Volcano, the Diablo was not enough…I needed another model.

Applying the Volcano colorway to the Gel Lyte III felt like an old itch I was never able to scratch, until now. Similar to the Super Green, Salmon Toe, and Militia colorways from last year, I wanted to ensure that if I were to resurrect this colorway that it would be done in the most premium way possible. That is why all pairs of the Volcano Gel Lyte III were handcrafted in Japan using the highest grade materials available.

The Volcano 2.0 collection pays homage to its predecessor in the most elevated fashion. It adds another notch in my timeline with Asics by introducing another new silhouette, while simultaneously celebrating our past together. I am excited to finally share this collection with you.

Both models release this Friday at Kith shops and Kith.com at 11AM EST.

by Ronnie Fieg