Interview: Highs And Lows Explain the HAL Studios x ASICS Gel-1130 Collab

Highs And Lows x ASICS GEL-1130

There is no way to tell the story of Australian sneaker culture without talking about Highs And Lows. For 17 years, the boutique and brand has operated from the world’s most isolated city to create product coveted across the globe. The team at Highs And Lows have linked with several brands to tell their own unique stories through collaborations, but perhaps their best-known work has come with ASICS.

The HAL x ASICS Gel-Lyte III ‘Brick and Mortar’ pack put Highs And Lows – and Australian sneaker collabs – on the map. It was followed by the ‘Silver Screen’ GL3s and ‘Medic’ GL5s. Each chapter told a new hyper-regional story with global appeal. In 2022, HAL and ASICS are back at it, with a little switch up. The latest collaboration gives HAL Studios top billing to usher in a new era on the west coast.

With the HAL Studios x ASICS Gel-1130 dropping today, Matt Thomas and John Bouquet explained the story behind the sneaker and the ethos behind HAL Studios.

The first talking point with this one is that it’s a HAL Studios collab rather than a Highs and Lows collab? Is that right?

Matt: It is, 100%. Highs and Lows, we’re making it more based around store collaboration, so with things that are local, more community-driven, to help build our community as a store leader. That’s how we’re basing our collaborations as Highs and Lows. HAL Studios is going to be doing things with Adidas, it’s going to be doing things with other big partners in the future. It’s our design think tank. It’s where myself and John will discuss who we would like to work with, and then we go for it, and we conceptualise, bring together ideas that aren’t just about just footwear, they’re about other products.

We would love to work with Vitra, you know what I mean? It’s not just within this footwear space, it’s within lots of different parameters. Industrial design, clean planet, juices, lots of different ideations of things we can bring to life. Like even to the point of making our own coat hangers, designing them in a really clever way. Just being considered, and moving in that direction.

 

You guys have a great history as a collaborator with ASICS. We take it back to the Brick And Mortar pack, you’ve had the Silver Screens, the Medics, and now we’re talking about the new Gel-1130s. I could be wrong here, but it seems like the new 1130 collab is less about a theme, and more about just creating a really beautiful product, is that right?

John: Yeah, you’re right. The idea was just to create a timeless piece of product that we can look back on in years, and still want to wear. Not chasing any trends, just really trying to create a beautifully-designed product. But there is always a little back note in there of a theme we’re trying to follow, and ideas that we’re presenting. The main theme for this was the GEL-1130 ‘Earth’. So, we’re just trying to strip back a traditional running shoe, and really focus on more the design aspect of it, choosing materials that suit this palette that we’re trying to follow.

Matt: We always look at the history of a brand, and try not to be too elaborate. We just try to basically make the dopest GR shoes in the game. I think John’s understanding of palette, texture, the working of fabrics together, has made for what we ended up with is a very, as John put it, ‘maximal minimalism’ interpretation. So the shoe isn’t so much about a really big story, it’s more about the idea that this is a running performance shoe from the ‘90s. But to us, we’re not big runners, we do a lot of walking. So, our idea was this play on making the coolest walking performance shoe. That led us to the path that we chose, which was making a great sports leisure shoe.

We have kind of built a small story around this idea of earth, walking, and being present. So, that’s probably the only three key things that we’ve kind of linked together, is this idea of walking and slowing down.

John mentioned not jumping on a trend. The first thing that hits me is right now everyone wants that Y2K, chrome/metallic silver runner. And you have this shoe that you could so easily do that with; you could have put metallic silvers and chromes and stuff on an ASICS runner, and there you go. But, instead, you took it in completely the opposite direction, and made it look like something that’s more at home on a forest trail.

Matt: If we were to show you references of old ASICS shoes, they used to do the greatest all-over meshes. So, this is where the referencing, and the background, and the history of ASICS is being retold through our selection of materials. There definitely has been a lot of research done. When you get given the opportunity to collaborate, I feel like you honor the brand the most by taking their DNA and not trying to reinvent anything, but just to refresh it, and to bring it into the world that you want to share. And, I think that’s what we’ve been able to do.

I think a lot of the idea that we had for this shoe that led to discussion is nature, and how we are present in that world. It was kind of where I feel like John drew inspiration.

John: 100%, yeah.

Matt: There’s a second followup if all goes to plan, that is in a less kind of sand/earth tone. It’s more greens and foresty interpretation. Me and John talked about meditation, walking, ambient music. And then we looked at walking meditation videos that are virtual; they’re filming them walking, but you’re obviously not in the redwood forest in California, you’re in your living room.

I felt this was quite a nice concept of walking, because it’s something we all share in common. But, If you were to stop for two seconds and just take into consideration your environment, it really is quite, quite a nice space to be in, just by returning to yourself in those moments. That’s the sentiment in the shoe, and the design process is just being inward-looking.

You’ve mentioned slowing down and looking within. And when we look at your Low End Therapy, there’s those great drink bottles with the ‘life in the slow lane’ messaging, you’ve got coffee cups, incense, things that are just going to help you to slow down, and just appreciate things.

Matt: I think both myself and John are very much people that enjoy thumbing through design books, listening to music. You know, John’s a big vinyl collector as well, same as me. We both like those analog items of yesteryear, we find them very considered. Considered is such a great word, because it really just hones in on people that care about the details, and to summarise who we are and what we do, it’s all in the details. Like, some guy the other day messaged me, going, “the green insole in the HAL Studios shoe is the most insane,” he just loved it. And I’m like… it’s the insole! To get so invested in that bit is just lovely.

Let’s finish with some HAL history. I don’t want to put you on blast but I remember talking to you a few years ago, you were telling me about the old days, riding around in a murdered out Alfa Romeo 159, listening to Dipset super loud. I lived through and loved that era, but here we are in 2022, things are just so philosophically different.

Matt: Yeah. I feel like if you look back, it was very excessive. It was all about being flashy. So, you’re 29 years of age, you want to have “LV Millionaires” on, and push a dope whip, and wear Atlanta hats everywhere with pink bandanas hanging out your Evisu jeans.

John: I wish I saw that era of Matt [laughs].

Matt: But that was how Highs and Lows got started, you know? It was an OG skate shop that was inspired by what I at the time was idolising, like Alife and Supreme. But things change. Skateboarding really moved into just being skateboarding-only stores, they didn’t necessarily want to be in stores that weren’t just strictly skateboarding. Which I kind of love now looking back, at the time it was hard. But, skateboarding just re-owned itself, which I think it needed to. So, hats off to skateboarding.

So now when you look at Low End Therapy, HAL Studios, the ASICS collab, and it’s all about all being considered, and taking time, appreciating the fine details. Sometimes you think, “is this because I’m getting older, or is this a cultural shift?”

If I was just to cast back to let’s say when we were talking about my younger years, skateboarding, playing records, and having a cool store, it doesn’t detract from the fact that we had amazing art in the shop, collections were great, collaborations were great, the store was the best-looking store. We’ve always been detail and design-led.

And you’re right, as you get older you change the currency of what you value the most in your life. But also, the people that come into your life play a big part in the opportunity to be able to do those things. John, Callum, Sean, all the people in my team are all very, very calm, loving, genuine people, so it makes it so easy to live in that state of mind.

So yeah, the wellness space has definitely become more relevant through COVID, because people started exploring their outdoors, they reinvested in their own houses, the things that mean things to them. But those things aren’t really about finances, I think it’s quite interesting when you think about it. It’s not about the person that has the most money. It’s about being able to walk out your front door, and breathe, and give time.

Cop the HAL Studios x ASICS Gel-1130 today via HAL Studios