ASICS SportStyle and Amsterdam-based designer Camiel Fortgens join forces for their first-ever collaboration through the brand’s Craft for Mind initiative, reimagining the GEL-CUMULUS 16 through a DIY lens. Bringing together ASICS’ technical footwear heritage and Fortgens’ experimental approach to craftmanship, the project transforms a running silhouette into something deliberately imperfect.
Known for fast-paced prototyping, trial and error, and a willingness to embrace irregularities, Camiel Fortgens approaches the GEL-CUMULUS 16 without abandoning its original identity. Instead of completely reworking the silhouette, the designer works around its established technical form, adding handmade elements that challenge the precision typically associated with performance footwear.
The GEL-CUMULUS 16 Gets a Handmade Makeover
The collaboration introduces two unconventional interpretations of the GEL-CUMULUS 16: a Mary Jane-inspired design and a VELCRO silhouette. Both draw inspiration from the simplicity of children’s shoes, replacing conventional running-shoe styling with layered leather patches and an intentionally rough finish.
Signature ASICS stripes remain visible, grounding the experimental designs in the brand’s visual language. Irregular stitching and hand-cut overlays add the contrasting characteristics of Camiel Fortgens, giving each silhouette a sense of individuality.
For Fortgens, the project represents a natural extension of a relationship with ASICS that has already appeared across runways and lookbooks. The designer explains that the intention was to work around the original shoe, adding a rough, handmade layer while keeping its classic technical form instantly recognisable.
Both the Mary Jane and VELCRO styles will be available in green and brown, with each colourway offering a different expression of the same experimental approach.
Amsterdam Inspires the Campaign
The collaboration’s visual identity draws directly from the rhythms of life in Amsterdam. For the moving-image campaign, Amsterdam-based filmmaker Patrick Louwerse focuses on small, often subconscious movements like resting one foot on another, rocking a bicycle pedal or kicking off shoes after returning home. These gestures become the starting point for a study of how people move through familiar spaces.
The film combines exterior locations with a matching interior set, creating a portrayal of Amsterdam that feels both personal and ordinary. The campaign finds its visual language in repetition and everyday routines, allowing the footwear to exist naturally within its surroundings.
Amsterdam-based photographer Pieter Numan takes a similar approach to the still imagery. The photographs document familiar urban gestures, from cycling through the city and crossing streets to walking along pavements. The GEL-CUMULUS 16 remains central to each composition, appearing in subtle variations as the imagery captures the choreography of daily life.
Creativity and Mental Wellbeing at the Centre
Beyond footwear, the project connects with the purpose of ASICS SportStyle’s Craft for Mind initiative. The non-profit programme supports mental wellbeing through creativity and craftmanship, drawing on ASICS’ “Sound Mind, Sound Body” philosophy. By encouraging experimentation, self-expressing and hands-on making, if positons creative practice as a meaningful way to support emotional balance.
The collaboration also supports FFort Foundation, with a portion of proceeds donated to the organisation. The foundation works to improve the mental wellbeing of young adults living with and beyond cancer through art and storytelling. Its use of creativity as a tool for support closely aligns with the aim of Craft for Mind, giving the project a purpose that extends beyond the finished product.
Release Details
The shoe comes in two styles: “Mary Jane” and “VELCRO,“ each available in green and brown. The green versions will launch first on 24 September 2026 at Tillatec in Amsterdam. and in October, the brown versions will launch exclusively at Dover Street Market London and the Camiel Fortgens flagship store in Amsterdam. The London retail launch will feature an installation recreating a typical Amsterdam doorway, with the shoes casually lying around.
