Style

Kiko Kostadinov and Asics made a sneaker that looks like it's covered in spider eyes

The wild Gessirit II is dropping today.

Kiko Kostadinov's long-running partnership with Asics continues today with yet another wild silhouette. Their collaborative Gessirit II, which was first shown at Kostadinov's SS20 runway show, releases today through Dover Street Market. The low cut trainer eschews the trio of straps from its predecessor and is adorned with an assortment of bubbles that are slightly reminiscent of spider eyes. It's a little unnerving, especially for anyone with trypophobia, but the fun of Kostadinov's Asics always come from how challenging they are.

Textures galore — While these awesome, creepy little bubbles are the most noticeable detail, there's a lot more going on across the upper. The large quilted leather panel serving as the focal point is surrounded by chainlink and circular mesh, as well as midsole made out of more plush leather.

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Sisters Laura and Deanna Fanning took over Kostadinov's women's collections in 2018, and for the show these sneakers featured in they played repeatedly played with the form of the circle, including metal amulets from the artist Rosie Grace Ward. Leo Lionni’s 1976 book Parallel Botany also served as inspiration for the spiraled accessories — with all of these shapes connected, according to the Fanning sisters, by the idea of divinity and perfection.

Calling the Gessirit II sneakers perfect or divine may skew hyperbolic, but they sure are fun. Kostadinov's Asics collaborations are routinely adored and adopted by the fashion crowd, as they're consistently unlike anything else on the market. If you're looking for a sneaker that's far-out, you can never go wrong with Kiko.

Asics

The first run drops today — Kostodinov's Gessirit II releases today in two colors, a bold cream and yellow variant and a slightly less colorful black version. Based on Kostodinov and Asics' history, we can expect even more color treatments down the road.

If these are the ones for you, head over to the sites for Dover Street Market after 10 a.m. EST or Luisviaroma. They'll set you back $160, which can be considered a bargain when some Kostodinov Asics run up to the $300 range. Just remember that these are technically for women and convert your size accordingly.

Asics
Asics