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- Story mfg and ASICS reunite to introduce the GEL-TRANSCEND FJ silhouette.
- The trail-ready sneaker launches in two colourways across brown and black.
- Design features a vintage blanket-check textile and rugged synthetic leather overlays.
- Aggressive jagged outsoles borrow directly from the GEL-FujiTrabuco 7 trail shoe.
- Retail release begins on 11 November, followed by global stores.
Standing at the intersection of Japanese trail heritage and British craft, the new Story mfg. x ASICS GEL-TRANSCEND FJ arrives as a particularly unapologetic rejection of the hyper-technical “gorpcore” city runners. Between Salomons and the running shoes that chase podium finishes on their way to the local specialty coffee shop with carbon plates, this collaboration looks directly to the unhurried joy of rambling, walking without a destination, talking a little too much, and wandering wherever curiosity leads.
Having watched sneaker culture obsess over sterile minimalism for years, seeing two brands build an outdoor shoe grounded in tactile materials and vintage hiking blankets feels refreshingly authentic. Digging through ASICS’ 1990s outdoor and walking archive, the design team layered rugged synthetic leather panels over Story mfg.’s signature check pattern, inspired by heavy woollen camp blankets.
Underfoot, the shoe chooses the jagged, multi-directional lugged tread of the GEL-FujiTrabuco 7 trail shoe. It’s a purposeful choice, providing lightweight cushioning, grip on wet surfaces, and an unmistakable outdoor look that works whether you are traversing mud, gravel, or city pavements. Most likely the latter. While local prices will sit in line with premium lifestyle trail collaborations around the AUD$250 mark, the GEL-TRANSCEND FJ enters a crowded outdoor footwear market where lifestyle trail shoes from Salomon and Roa routinely stretch beyond AUD$350. It drops first on the Story mfg. website on 11 November, followed by an ASICS global retail release on 20 November.
Roots and Heavyweight Blanket Checks
The design of the GEL-TRANSCEND FJ reaches straight into ASICS’ 1990s walking and hiking catalogues, resurrecting a silhouette built for durable outdoor walks. Story mfg. brings its distinctive textile identity to the silhouette, dressing the upper in two versatile colourways: a muted black-and-grey combination and a rich, earthy brown.
There’s no modern mono-mesh or synthetic ripstop in sight. Panels showcase Story mfg.’s check pattern. Sourced from the aesthetic of vintage camp and hiking blankets, the textured fabric gives the shoe a tactile warmth rarely found in performance trail gear. That domestic, handcrafted softness is contrasted by synthetic leather overlays wrapped around the high-wear zones of the mudguard, eyestays, and heel counter, ensuring the shoe holds up against outdoor scuffs.
Blacksmith Test and Real World Traction
The defining mechanical feature of the collaboration sits underneath the woven upper. Borrowing the jagged, aggressive outsole from ASICS’ respected GEL-FujiTrabuco 7 trail shoe, the tooling delivers genuine off-road performance with deep-traction teeth and shock-absorbing cushioning.
To document the footwear in action, the launch campaign drew inspiration from ASICS’ Japanese heritage by embedding the shoes into the everyday lives of a forager, a blacksmith, dancers, farmers, and cyclists. Each subject was photographed in their natural working environment to capture different interpretations of movement and craft.
“The sole is incredible: an aggressive but lightweight tread. It’s so supple and grippy that the blacksmith we photographed reckons he can sharpen 20% faster in them, and asked to keep a pair for work,” said Story mfg. Founder Saeed Al-Rubeyi.
Rambling Club and Release
To accompany the sneaker release, Story mfg. and ASICS are launching the Rambling Club, a community initiative celebrating those who enjoy exploring without a fixed schedule. The club will host an in-person launch at Story mfg.’s London studio across 7 and 8 November, before heading across the Atlantic for a New York chapter hosted at Blue In Green on 10 November.
Prospective members are asked to apply by submitting a completed form alongside a hand-drawn self-portrait. Successful applicants receive an official club badge and an exclusive window to purchase the GEL-TRANSCEND FJ ahead of the public release. For the wider market, the shoe launches online via the Story mfg. webstore on 11 November, before landing at ASICS online and select global retailers on 20 November.
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