Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Ilargi FF Tabi Sneaker Release Date

Kiko Kostadinov’s Asics sneakers have never played by the rules. From high-tops inspired by boxing footwear to jarring-yet-complementary color combinations, the Bulgarian designer’s link-ups with the Japanese sportswear company have produced some of the more captivating collaborations in athletic footwear. Next up, Kostadinov is fusing the brand’s high-tech performance running engineering with an ever-polarizing split-toe tabi construction. 

First seen in June on the runway at Paris Fashion Week, the Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Ilargi FF — which is also being referred to simply as the Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Tabi — is finally available at retail. With a lightweight knitted upper and a FlyteFoam-cushioned midsole, the standout detail of the Ilargi FF is its split tabi-toe construction. While tabi shoes have been somewhat of a perpetual trend since the 2010s, particularly Maison Margiela’s various split-toe designs, it’s uncommon to see the decoupled design paired with technical running shoes.

And yet, as unexpected of a combination as it may have been when the Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Tabi walked down the runway, it’s not uncharted territory for the Japanese brand. In 1953, Asics, then still known as Onitsuka Tiger, issued the Marathon Tabi shoe, which was intended for full-length marathons and featured a canvas upper with a rubber sole. Not only was the Marathon Tabi notable for being one of the first examples of a mass-marketed tabi athletic shoe, but it was actually the first Asics running shoe of any kind.

For the Ilargi FF’s formal rollout, Kostadinov tapped American contemporary artist Ryan Trecartin for a three-part campaign dubbed “Buckle Yup!” Each ad features a score written and produced by Trecartin and was shot in Japan across more than a dozen locations with 15 local actors. 

“With each track, the artist worked on composition and songwriting before feeding the lyrics and notation into machine learning software to produce a chorus of artificial voices on songs that craft a narrative of delivery girls, romance, online side-hustles and shoes,” reads a description of Trecartin’s score.

Act 1 of the series, “Buckle Yup: Cue Shoes” will debut Feb. 23 in Los Angeles. Act 2, “Buckle Yup: Lip Sink Muzak” will receive a Tokyo premiere in April followed by Act 3, “Buckle Yup: Voice-Undered Romantic” in London in July. 

As for the sneakers, the Kiko Kostadinov x Asics Ilargi FF was released Thursday at Kostadinov’s London store in blue and black styles for $230. A wider release is scheduled for Feb. 23 from kikokostadinov.com and the brand’s Los Angeles and Tokyo locations.