Lapstone & Hammer Founder Brian Nadav took this project personally. He wanted to recreate the aesthetic of an old pair of stonewashed denim jeans in the form of a sneaker. He partnered with ASICS, fresh off a similar project with JW Customs and Hidden NY, to bring the vision to life and conducted extensive trials.
He tested many ASICS silhouettes, dip durations, water temperatures, dye blends, and pre and post-dye wash procedures. He eventually settled on the dye mixture process and decided that the ASICS GEL-1130 and GEL-NYC presented the right blend of suede and mesh to bring the stonewashed indigo dream to life. The project resulted in 100 pairs of hand-dyed sneakers, each having subtle variations due to the nature of the process.
Unlike most hand-dyed sneaker projects, Nadav aims to release his creations to the public, albeit in minimal quantities. The LAPSTONE FOR ASICS “Indigo Dip Dye” GEL-1130 and GEL-NYC will release 100 pairs on February 3rd. The pairs will be available on-site at the Lapstone and Hammer Philadelphia store and via their online shop. Projects like this are few and far between, so follow us on Twitter and Instagram to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Images via @lapstoneandhammer