Aaron Hope 
Especially here in the states, Asics is known first for their performance runners, second for wrestling boots and attire and third for their heritage models, perhaps most notably the Gel Lyte III. And while the Chinese brand placed their Ronnie Fieg-designed GLIII ‘Coves’ into the Sneaker News Top 30 of 2010, we haven’t seen much attention from them for the growing lifestyle market. But that all changes with the new Onitsuka Tiger Samd AZ, a low-profile super-hightop that’d be right at home in adidas Originals’ SOFTWEAR collection. These joints keep the modernity alive with a tonal palette that mixes rich blue suedes and leathers and looks super cool next to white on the tongue, laces, eyelets and sole. Are these just Skytop IIs with vertical stitching on the side panels or a solid effort by a brand from whom we want to see more? Click through to get more images and decide for yourself, leave us a comment and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for the latest new releases. via SF
