Fujitaka x Asics Gel-NYC 'Imbari'
These are nuts. Just gonna start it off with that bc I haven't seen a pair this unique in a minute. I'm also a sucker for embroidery on sneakers so that may be me being biased...
Materials: this sneaker has a plethora of unique details, so bear with me. Wrapping around the sneaker is a navy mesh with the Asics logo embroidered in white. This stops midway through the upper & transitions into a navy Imabari towel scrap. On the toe cap, they went with that same mesh material, with leather underlays. My favorite part is the inner stripes, they are embroidered in a white stitching in an accordion pattern with an Imabari towel underlay. On the lateral side, the stripes are a blue leather with navy cloth accents to give the character to the stripes. Next is around the eyelets, there is a cluster of navy embroidery (rather than normal eyelets). The navy embroidery is bridged together with white stitching on both sides of the sneaker. Lastly, they added additional yellow lace loops & placed a pull tab on the back heel, which is made from the Imbari Scraps as well. Overall, this sneaker is overloaded with details & honestly feels like a special custom.
Comfort/Sizing: in terms of comfort, I feel like this is similar to the 1130 in terms of squish, but it has a more stable & firm feel if that makes sense. In terms of sizing, I got these in a US 8, which is my tts. I'd recommend going tts, unless you want a roomy fit.
Overall Opinion: this is one of the most complex sneakers I've reviewed in a minute & I missed some other details too due to space. I feel like they made this sneaker with Fujitaka scraps but placed them in places that flow together & compliment each other nicely. I personally really love embroidery & sashiko designs, bc I feel like this really brought the NYC to the next level. These are scattered throughout some boutiques in Australia and other countries. If you have a chance to grab these & like embroidery, I'd pick these up.