Creative mastermind Angelo Baque teams up with ASICS to launch the Angelo Baque x ASICS GEL-KAYANO® 14 sneaker – dubbed by Baque the ‘Rebirth of Cool’. This sneakers marks the first collaboration bearing his namesake.
The launch will be the first in an ongoing partnership between the ASICS and Baque, who spent a decade at Supreme before launching his own label, Awake New York. The release also marks the formal launch of Angelo Baque Studios, a new creative venture that will allow Baque to focus on projects under his own name.
As a first-generation American born to Ecuadorian parents, Baque aimed to create something that evoked a feeling of pride for his parent’s homeland, intentionally accenting the shoe with blue, yellow and red as a nod to Ecuador’s flag.
“As a 14-year-old growing up in Queens, I used to take the train down to Paragon Sports near Union Square. I would see an ASICS running sneaker on the wall and I loved the excitement of incorporating it into my style and making it my own. With my GEL-KAYANO® 14 shoe, I wanted to evoke that same energy and feeling,” Baque said.
The Angelo Baque x ASICS GEL-KAYANO® 14 ‘Rebirth of Cool’ features a grey, black, silver and blue upper, complemented with a red-orange accent and yellow along the outer edge of the sole. Baque’s goal with the footwear was to create something that felt contemporary while still including tributes to his family’s heritage and New York City upbringing.
Baque notes that as a teenager, he often frequented stores that offered technical running gear and footwear. “I loved the idea of using a running shoe not just for its original purpose, but to be worn for everyday life,” he explains. “ASICS provided the perfect canvas for that, and they’re the first brand to take a chance on me and offer me a collaboration under my own name.”
The Angelo Baque x ASICS GEL-KAYANO® 14 ‘Rebirth of Cool’ will release on the 13th of August and will be available at ASICS.COM, Above The Clouds, Highs and Lows and Up There. For other ASICS features, click HERE.
