If you're a fan of the fashionable side of running then the new ASICS x Bandit Novablast 5 is not to be missed. A daily trainer by design, but a collector’s piece in execution. This is the first time Bandit – a New York-based running label with a growing reputation for marrying performance with style – has lent its eye to a sneaker collaboration. And it’s a strong start.
The joint project draws on the work of Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, whose influence is felt throughout the shoe’s delicate balance of texture and form. The upper is a tapestry of sheer overlays, translucent panels and paper-like mesh. Designed to evoke the look and feel of Noguchi’s iconic lanterns. Think minimalism with depth – sharp, soft, sculptural, and weightless in the right places.
Bandit’s logo – known as the Current – is reimagined in taped overlays, while a pop of red at the heel and tongue nods to the signature stamp used on Noguchi’s original light sculptures. Even the tongue gets a redesign, pleated like a piece of folded origami. It’s a shoe that looks more at home on a plinth than a podium, and yet it still runs like a Novablast should.
ASICS x Bandit Novablast 5: The details
Technically, not much has changed. The tried-and-tested midsole remains intact, meaning you still get that smooth, springy ride. The difference is all in the finish. Speckled soles, gravel-textured panels and fluid lace eyelets give the shoe a considered, textural quality. Each pair comes packaged in a Japanese ripstop drawstring bag – another detail that pushes this collab into more covetable territory.
It’s an unconventional approach to performance footwear – less shouting, more sculpting – and one that speaks to Bandit’s design credentials as much as its growing cultural clout. The shoes release to Bandit members on April 3, with a general release on April 4. Expect them to sell out faster than your last interval.
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