Earls and Asics Get Nostalgic with a Gel-Cumulus 16 Collab

The best sneaker collabs are always way too personal. Derived from the intricate details of a shop or brand’s hometown, family, friends, sports obsessions, or architectural inspiration, the collaborative sneaker is at its best when, like any good art, it serves as a canvas to bring a meaningful story to life. For Australian fashion label Earls, the brand’s latest Asics collab is a perfectly personal trip home for founder Lewi Brown.

Born and raised in Belfast, Christchurch, New Zealand, Lewi Brown made a name for himself on the rugby pitch before switching gears post-retirement to create Earls, one of Australia’s premier fashion labels and retail stores. On the brand’s second Asics collab, Brown returns home to Christchurch for a Gel-Cumulus 16 inspired by the place and people who inspired his rugby dreams.

Starting with a white knit upper with brown suede accents, the pair is inspired quite literally by the house that Brown grew up in, as well as his grandmother’s knitting, the front lawn where he first fell in love with rugby, and on the insoles, a direct replica of the rug from inside the home. “More than a detail, it is a feeling carried forward,” Earls says about the pair. “A reminder that home does not leave you. It moves with you.”

The Earls x Asics Gel-Cumulus 16 will be released May 22, 2026 through select retailers and Asics, so expect Earls to drop the pair earlier Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is still TBD. For all the latest Asics collab news and drop info, download the Sole Retriever App.