Ronnie Fieg is a legend in the sneaker game and his sneaker collaboration résumé, as well as his highly successful “Kith” sneaker stores, proves it. What is so impressive about his collaborations is the number of different brands and models he has worked with – all to a consistently high quality. So, without further ado, we have picked out five of our favourite models, in no particular order, that show why Ronnie Fieg and sneakers are a match made in heaven.
Starting off this list is the latest to release, the Kith x Asics EX89, which we just can’t get enough of. Continuing Asics and Kith’s long-time partnership, Asics gave Ronnie Fieg full permission to go through their extensive archives and pull out the old basketball model, the EX89. Giving it a modern-day spin whilst very much keeping the vintage look, the EX89 offers a fresh alternative to the New Balance 550, with a similar shape but with different panelling, which we think will make this Kith release go down as one of their best.
Image: Sole Retriever
Second, on this list, we have the Kith x LeBron 15 “Long Live The King” pack. Tackling a very different kind of silhouette to his other works, this release saw Kith work with a modern basketball sneaker design – and quite a bulky one at that – and still turn it flawlessly into four separate works of art. The performance model stands out for us in particular, since it featured a floral design detailing the shoe as well as a zip down the middle, adding a luxury lifestyle air to the sneaker fit for a king. More specifically, fit for King James!
Image: Kith
Our third pick technically wasn’t designed by Ronnie Fieg, but rather has Fieg to thank for its return. The model in question is the New Balance 997 United Arrows and Sons. A beautiful silhouette originally released exclusively in Japan by Japan-based United Arrows and Sons, Fieg brought it back for a wider release, keeping it true to the original version, as well as applying the colourway to a couple more of his favourite New Balance models.
Image: Flickr
Lastly, we have potentially the most famous sneaker on this list, the Ronnie Fieg x Asics Gel Lyte III Salmon Toe. There are so many amazing Gel Lyte models that could’ve featured on this list but we decided to keep the entries to just one so we could highlight Fieg’s range of amazing work. That being said, we are very confident in our decision to pick out the Asics Gel Lyte III Salmon Toe to feature on this list. Featuring a dark blue upper save for pink detailing around the toe, this was the first of Ronnie Fieg’s collabs to release at his own store, Kith, back in 2011 and has also been debatably his most famous. Offering a great introduction to the sneakers he would go on to release, the Salmon toes featured a pastel salmon colour that would indicate his affinity for soft colour palettes on his shoes. In addition, they contain a smooth nubuck showing his famed attention to detail, especially when it comes down to the materials of his shoes.
Image: Sweetsoles