EARLS and Asics Return With a Deeply Personal Take on the GEL-Cumulus 16

Australia’s EARLS Collection made their debut in the sneaker world with a splash in 2024. The brand teamed up with Asics for their initial release, and have now reunited with the brad for a special pair of the GEL-Cumulus 16, coming soon.

The debut collaboration from EARLS and Asics arrived over two years ago, and it remains one of the best projects of this decade. The Australian brand’s special projects are rooted in personal storytelling, and their take on the GT-2160 focused on founder Lewi Brown’s Māori cultural heritage. The shoe took design cues from woven flax goods, pounamu stones, and abalone shell patterns to create its distinctive look. This month, EARLS and Asics are releasing their sophomore collab together, a deeply personal take on the GEL-Cumulus 16 runner.

The upcoming release from EARLS and Asics focuses on the concepts of family, healing, home, and reconnection. EARLS has shared extensive Instagram captions explaining the ethos of this release, giving us enough to understand the process but too few details to fully comprehend his personal history. Nonetheless, the idea and execution is beautiful. The work is a meditation on returning to Lewi’s childhood home, to heal and continue to move forward in life. Editorial images for this campaign were captured at his childhood home, a space that is also the location of the only photo Lewi has of him and his father.

The GEL-Cumulus 16 serves as the canvas for this reflective exercise. The look begins with a Coconut Milk white woven mesh base layer, adding leather overlays across the toes and sidewalls. Hints of brown make up the suede heel counter and laces, while orange GEL cushioning and Asics branding round out the visible elements of the shoe. Inside, the footbeds are printed with an exact copy of the rug from Lewi’s home. In addition to the Cumulus style, EARLS and Asics have crafted a matching pair of the Lethal Testimonial 4 cleat as a nod to Brown’s hom-away-from-home, the local rugby pitch.

EARLS X ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 16 “HOME” RELEASE INFORMATION

The latest collaboration from Australia’s EARLS Collection and Asics has been scheduled to release this month, on May 23rd, 2026. The project is something of a therapeutic exercise for founder Lewi Brown, a reflection on family, healing, and home. The GEL-Cumulus 16 comes in a palette of neutral shades, and will release from both partners as well as select retailers on the same day. Pricing is expected to be about $170

EARLS x ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16
Color: Coconut Milk/Black
Style Code: 1203B053-200
Release Date: May 23, 2026
Price: $170

Check out the official images below, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more of the latest sneaker news, release dates, and restock alerts.

Words by Ben Serleth