Hal Studios x ASICS Gel-1130 MK-II “Forest”

HAL Studios — the in-house imprint of Highs and Lows, run by Matthew Thomas and John Bouquet — went deep into the Shinto shrines of Japan’s forests for this take on the GEL-1130 MK-II. The result is one of the most quietly considered ASICS collaborations of the past few years. Forest green suede paneling and brown leather build out ASICS’ famed Stripes motif on the upper. A neon orange strikes the heel and insole, drawing inspiration directly from the bright accents of Japanese shrine architecture. Off-white midsole, GEL cushioning underneath — the technical bones of the original GEL-1130 are intact, just dressed for the occasion. Originally released in October 2022 in extremely limited quantities through HAL Studios and select global stockists. Finding a deadstock pair in Kigali in 2026 is rare — this is the kind of pair that earns nods from the people who actually know.