Heritage in Motion: ASICS GEL-KAYANO™ 12.1
Words by Gregory Noonan
Dawn gathers at the edge of a tree-lined road; the air holds that crisp hush before the day decides its pace. In that quiet, the ASICS GEL-KAYANO™ 12.1 comes into focus - built to turn motion into clarity.
The 12.1 silhouette traces its lineage to a KITH-led reintroduction of the 2006 GEL-KAYANO, and this edition carries that DNA forward on its own terms. The upper draws from European Gothic armour: gorgeous lines, flowing metallic hits, and a sculptural sense of structure that catches light like steel at dusk. Open mesh underlays keep air moving and temperatures down.
Underfoot, marathon-grade calm does the quiet work. Borrowed from the GEL-NIMBUS™ 17, the midsole stacks dual GEL™ inserts with a FLUIDRIDE™ cushioning system for a soft landing and smooth on lift-off.
The mood is movement as meditation. A slow run through the woods, a blur across an empty road, a pause in an orchard among fallen apples, a breath on the living-room sofa - each scene a reminder that moving the body invites the mind to open, to connect.
Here, Samantha Mercano moves with the same quiet intensity that shapes her music. A Copenhagen-based member of Univers and a rising solo artist, she blends soulful melodies with an experimental edge and deeply personal lyrics. On stage, her presence is magnetic; in motion, it’s meditative. Like the GEL-KAYANO™ 12.1, her expression bridges heritage and now: honest, reflective, and full of promise.
This is where the GEL-KAYANO™ 12.1 lives, in that balanced space between heritage and now, armour and softness, intention and ease. A shoe for rituals that reset the day, steps that turn into strides, strides that turn into great journeys across novel moments.
Move the body, and the mind follows. Keep moving, and the day opens. With the GEL-KAYANO™ 12.1, ASICS gives that opening form. Available at nakedcph.com and in-store October 15th.
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Talent: Samantha Mercano @samanthamercano
Photographer & Videographer: Marcus Nielsen @filmbymn
Hair & Make-up: Natali Rasch @egyptique
Sound Design: Oskar Justesen @oskarjustesen_
Music: Mikael Hegelund Martinsen @musikael_
Production assist/styling assist: Manuela Mingrone @cagethemonkeys
Creative Direction and Production: NAKED Copenhagen @nakedcph