ASICS Skateboarding Japan Pro Moss Black

The Japan Pro: Sage Suede, Black Stripes and Triple Stitching

It started as a basketball shoe: the FABRE JAPAN S from 1981. ASICS Skateboarding takes it and brings it up to today's skate standards, without touching what makes its lines. The result is a low-top with court-shoe proportions and the reinforcement you need where the board wears a shoe down. This sage and black colorway takes it dark and low-key, far from loud palettes.

Sage covers the whole suede upper, toe to heel, with panels joined by triple stitching at the toe and heel. On the sidewall, the black ASICS stripes cut across the suede and run into the black pebbled heel counter, stamped with the ASICS logo in sage. The toe box is perforated, the flat laces pick up the upper's green, and the thick tongue carries a white ASICS SKATEBOARDING label. The collar is lined in black, the black insole is perforated, and the outsole, black as well, carries the embossed ASICS logo on the sidewall.

The thicker tongue spreads the pressure of the laces, and the elastic band keeps it in place for the whole session: your lockdown doesn't shift. The perforated insole adds stability and impact absorption, which you feel on a gap landing as much as on the walk home. Underneath, the black outsole runs waves across the forefoot and heel, with two circular pods at the pressure points. For upkeep, run a suede eraser over griptape marks, then brush along the nap, and keep direct water off the sage.