The ASICS x ©DISTANCE collection reimagines premium performance and lifestyle apparel by paying tribute to Iten and its renowned running community. The collaboration is completed by the latest NOVABLAST™ 6 shoe.
- The ASICS x ©DISTANCE capsule collection is inspired by the runners and landscapes of Iten, Kenya.
- The 16-piece apparel collection for men and women spans from performance running kits to lifestyle tops, including reimagined styles from ASICS’ premium METARUN™ range.
- Vivid colors and expressive mix-and-match styling draw from Iten’s red earth, local architecture, including the famous ©DISTANCE store, and everyday running culture.
- Completed by the newly launched NOVABLAST™ 6 shoe, the collection celebrates running as a force that connects people and lifts spirits.
- The ASICS x ©DISTANCE collaboration will launch on October 10th and will be available at select retail partners, including ©DISTANCE shops worldwide, and on asics.com.
[Kobe, Japan, 8 October 2026] – ASICS and independent running retailer ©DISTANCE announce their first ASICS x ©DISTANCE capsule collection, inspired by Iten, Kenya — a place where running shapes daily life and generations of champions have been made.
The collection brings together ASICS’ Japanese design and performance heritage and ©DISTANCE’s contemporary view of running culture. Its vivid color palette draws from the colors of Iten’s land and sky, while graphic details and contrasting surfaces reference the textures and painted finishes of local houses. Brightly coordinated kits and unexpected color combinations reflect the expressive, instinctive way apparel is worn throughout the community.
Rather than treating Iten simply as a destination, ASICS and ©DISTANCE approached the collection as a tribute to a place and to the people who have welcomed ©DISTANCE as part of it: the runners, friends, families and everyday champions whose lives are connected by movement.
“Running in Iten is inseparable from the place itself, from the red earth and the brightness of the sun to the shared rituals that surround every session,” said Alistair Keys, Head of Design at ASICS. “We wanted the collection to carry that sense of energy and connection of the local community into every color, texture and combination and apply it to some of our most advanced performance apparel pieces. It also speaks directly to ASICS’ purpose: helping more people experience the uplifting impact of movement on the mind. From world-class athletes to first-time runners, the ASICS x ©DISTANCE collection is a tribute to the sport, to the place that keeps the collaboration grounded, and to running as one of the purest ways to move body and mind.”
For ©DISTANCE co-founder Guillaume Pontier, the project is rooted in a longstanding personal connection to athletics and to Kenya. His father, Jean-François “Jef” Pontier, spent decades coaching some of the best middle- and long-distance athletes for France. Visits to Iten with his father introduced Guillaume to the town and its running community, forming relationships that would later lead ©DISTANCE to establish a permanent presence there.
Opened in 2022, the ©DISTANCE store in Iten is a community-focused space created to make quality running products more accessible to local athletes. Run with local knowledge and shaped by the people it serves, the store has become an important meeting point and a vivid expression of ©DISTANCE’s belief in running as a shared culture.
“Iten is much more than an inspiration board for us,” said Guillaume Pontier. “It is a place built on relationships, generosity and a deep, everyday commitment to running. Through my father, our store and the people who welcomed us, it has become part of the ©DISTANCE story. This collection is our way of honoring the details that stay with us: meeting for the sunrise run, the red earth on our shoes, tea at View Point, the colors of the houses and, above all, the warmth of the community. It is dedicated to our friends in Iten and to everyone, everywhere, who finds connection through running.”
Created for all runners, the collection combines technical running kits – mostly from ASICS’ METARUN™ range – with leisure tops and hoodies. Spanning from training into the moments before and after, the capsule is designed as a flexible system, providing pieces that can be worn as complete, color-coordinated kits or mixed freely. This approach reflects the individual styling seen in Iten, where bold colors and expressive combinations bring personality to the shared uniform of running.
The capsule collection is completed by the NOVABLAST™ 6 shoe, creating a head-to-toe expression of the collaboration and expanding its distinctive color palette from apparel to footwear.
The ASICS x ©DISTANCE collection, including the NOVABLAST™ 6 shoe, will be available from October 10th 2026 at select retail partners, including ©DISTANCE shops worldwide, and on asics.com.
-ENDS-
About ©DISTANCE
Founded in Lyon in 2018, ©DISTANCE is an independent running retailer and creative platform built around a modern, inclusive vision of running. Through considered product curation, community experiences and stores in cities including Paris and Iten, ©DISTANCE brings performance, culture and creativity together under the message “For All Runners.”
