JWStudios with Mizuno for 30-Pair Custom Collab Inspired by the Rare Black Persimmon

The custom sneaker world is an industry all to itself. Removed from the retail market, customizers vary in style, technique, and skill, with some pairs going for grail prices and others simply disgracing the OG silhouette. For Jakob Werner’s JWStudio, the rare opportunity has emerged to cross the two worlds, with a second official collab between JWStudio and Mizuno resulting in 30 pairs of sanctioned customs-dyed in deep purple.

The JW Studios x Mizuno MXR Kuro Gaki is the second limited-release custom project that Werner has done with Mizuno, this time creating just 30 pairs of Mizuno MXR in a monochrome purple shade inspired by the rare black persimmon. Each pair of the mesh runners features a blend of dark purple tones across the entire upper with small brown leather labels on the tongue and lateral side.

“With ‘Kuro Gaki,' we continue the journey that began with our first Kakishibu project,” Werner wrote on Instagram. “As our second collaboration with Mizuno, it represents a natural progression of the series exploring the balance between tradition, material, and experimentation.”

The JW Studios x Mizuno MXR Kuro Gaki pairs will be given away for free through a raffle that is currently open on the JW Studios website. The raffle will close at 1 PM EST on April 17, 2026, with winners contacted the next day, and pairs shipped within a month or so. To keep up with all the latest Mizuno collab news and drop info, download the Sole Retriever App.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com