ISSEY MIYAKE FOOT introduces hyper taping footwear with Asics and human centered design
The collaborative project ISSEY MIYAKE FOOT emerges from a long-standing dialogue between MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO and ASICS, uniting two entities that share a commitment to technical rigor, refined aesthetics, and product research rooted in Japan’s manufacturing culture.
The project looks at the human foot as a starting point for design, positioning footwear as a vehicle for new ideas in daily life through a deep respect for bodily movement and fabrication processes.
ASICS continues to operate under a vision aimed at creating lifestyle value supported by sport science, marrying physical performance with design intent.
Its innovations stem from the ASICS Institute of Sport Science, where studies on the human body, locomotion, and footwear construction inform new approaches to comfort and durability.
This history creates a foundation upon which the collaboration can develop new methodologies and products.
MDS brings a lineage of design thinking built on understanding the body and cloth, focusing on how garments respond to and interact with physical form.
By extending this relationship to footwear, the collaboration leverages complementary knowledge to examine long-term research possibilities.
The goal is not only product creation but also the cultivation of ideas that can evolve over time.
The first product from ISSEY MIYAKE FOOT, titled HYPER TAPING™, launched in early January. Its development originates from a reinterpretation of the ASICS Stripes, a design element historically intended to improve structural integrity and fit.
Rather than treating the stripes as a graphic component, MDS reimagined their functional logic as a taping system, borrowing from the methodology used in athletic taping to stabilize joints and support muscular movement.
Through this shift, HYPER TAPING™ transitions functional heritage into a contemporary form language.
The collaborative process involved constructing a wrestling outsole for traction, designing a new last to support everyday movement, and redesigning the insole to increase comfort over prolonged wear.
Material combinations were adjusted to achieve a balance between support and lightness, while form and color decisions were refined to give the footwear a lasting visual presence that resonates beyond seasonal trends.
The result presents an interpretation of performance that aligns with daily use rather than arena-based sport.
All images courtesy of ISSEY MIYAKE
