The last pair of GL3 I grabbed were the Daruma Dolls, and now I’m on to these special GRs that Asics put out to start the year. These Asics Gel Lyte III Kadomatsu came out in a pack that includes a blue/green and a tan/beige colorway and represents Japanese Kadomatsu decorations.
The decorations usually go outside the home towards the end of December and early January. They symbolize bringing happiness and bounty to the home and are typically made of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms. The plum pair represents the plum blossoms while the misty pine pair represents the pine.
People have definitely been sleeping on Asics recently and a lot of excellent shoes are flying under the radar. I definitely would include these as slept on, although the misty pine colorway does seem to consistently sell out.
How Are The Materials?
These pretty much sport an entirely suede upper. Even the areas that are typically 3M hits on a pair of 3s are suede here. The suede is very soft and definitely produces a backstroke! Overall, for a $120 shoe, Asics is really delivering on soft and attractive suede. Of course there’s better suede kicks out there, but for the price of entry, this sneaker nails it in the materials department.
Mine came in a brown Asics box. The plum colorway ships with one Asics care tag and white flat laces with pink aglets. These laces seem a little bit better quality than normal. Extras include a hangtag explaining the Kadomatsu decoration and inspiration for the sneaker.
How Do They Fit?
These fit true to size. I find that the split tongue makes these easy to slide on and off – and is probably the part of the shoe that most sneakerheads need to get used to if they’ve never worn this model before. Still the shoe is very comfortable if you can get the sizing right.
Where To Cop the Asics Gel Lyte III Kadomatsu
As of the writing of this article, you can find the plum colorway on eBay. The misty pine colorway is also available on eBay. You can also shop other Gel Lyte III’s on the Asics website.
Asics Gel Lyte III Kadomatsu Plum
Colorway: Wood Crepe / Plum Blossom
Style Code: 1201A164-200
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $120
Buy: eBay
Asics Gel Lyte III Kadomatsu Pine
Colorway: Misty Pine / Seafoam
Style Code: 1201A164-300
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $120
Buy: eBay