October 28, 2024
KUALA LUMPUR – Having previously released sneakers inspired by some of Malaysia’s most famous cultural icons like nasi lemak, teh tarik, and the Petronas Twin Towers, SneakerLah and Asics have once again put their feet together for another collaboration.
This time around, they have paid tribute to one of Malaysia’s most beloved snacks – the popular Mamee Monster.
According to a press release, the Asics Skyhand OG ‘Mamee Monster’ sneaker is a “a unique fusion of street style, nostalgia, and Malaysian culture, all wrapped up in a design inspired by the iconic crunchy noodle snack”.
This is the fourth such collaboration between SneakerLah, Malaysia’s biggest sneaker event, and Asics. The first one was released in 2019, – the nasi lemak inspired Gel-Kayano 5 OG ‘Nasi Lemak’, followed by another in 2020 inspired by the Petronas Twin Towers – the Gel-Lyte III ‘Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers’. In 2022, the teh tarik-inspired Gel-Lyte III ‘Teh Tarik’ sneaker, was released.
This is the fourth such collaboration between SneakerLah and Asics. PHOTO: HANDOUT/THE STAR
According to SneakerLah founder Bryan Chin, the shoe’s design takes inspiration from a fond childhood memory of enjoying Mamee Monster after school.
“As a small kid, to a teenager, all the way up to adulthood, I think it’s the one snack that I have constantly bought and eaten,” he said in an email interview.
“In many ways, this project (and the past projects as well) is a selfish endeavour to tell stories of my childhood – how a snack (or a dish, or an iconic building) have impacted me growing up and the many fond memories I made over the years.”
This nostalgic moment has been artfully translated into the sneaker’s playful design. The standout feature is the pale-yellow noodle laces, which resemble Mamee Monster noodles, while the shoe panels come in different shades of yellow tones colour picked from the noodle.
The pale-yellow-coloured laces, are meant to resemble Mamee Monster noodles. PHOTO: HANDOUT/THE STAR
Meanwhile, the speckled midsole mimics the seasoning powder that comes with the snack while the back heel features the seasoning powder’s pack design.
Additional highlights include a blue insole, a tribute to the snack’s instantly recognisable mascot, Blue the Monster, with the Asics logo printed in velvet on the insole.
The shoe also features Blue holding the “LAH” symbol, representing SneakerLah. The final touch is a stylish deubré lace lock on the front for added flair.
Chin adds that there is one more unique aspect of the design that people might not notice.
“There is a hidden noodle design that is underneath the first layer of canvas which you have to cut open in order to see it,” he explained. “Not many people would be daring enough to cut it, but if you do it will reveal a pretty bold and unique noodle pattern.”
Mamee Monster’s mascot Blue holding the “LAH” symbol, representing SneakerLAH. PHOTO: HANDOUT/THE STAR
Chin said they faced a few challenges when designing the shoe, the first one being trying to make it look and wear like a normal sneaker, while also making it recognisable as a “noodle” sneaker without compromising on the simplicity and wearability of the shoe.
“The second challenge was the noodle laces, which was specially developed by the Asics team for this project,” he said, adding that the final challenge was finding the right shades of yellow. “We took a picture of the actual snack, then took the different shades of yellow from the noodles and plunked it onto the shoe.”
He added that there were many other ideas for the shoe before they finally decided on Mamee Monster.
“One of them was a Tugu Negara themed shoe with military inspired designs and patterns, and another one was a Malaysian dessert inspired sneakers,” he said.
Retailing at RM629, the limited-edition Asics Skyhand OG ‘Mamee Monster’ sneaker will be available at the SneakerLah event from Nov 2-3 at MITEC KL on a first come first serve basis, and at asics.com from November onwards.