Love him or hate him—either way, Ronnie Fieg never not has people talking about him. This time, the footwear designer and Kith founder sat down with GQ to discuss his growing retail operations, footwear, apparel, and his legacy in the game.
Fieg spearheaded the ASICS movement in sneaker culture and it's something he's proud of, referencing his time as an adolescent when he learned to love the runners, specifically Gel Lyte IIIs, because ASICS was one of the sneakers his mother could afford to buy him.
That early admiration for the brand carried into his time at NYC retailer David Z where he first started working with ASICS in 2006. This was during an era in sneaker culture when ASICS collaborations were few and far between, allowing Fieg to really put his stamp on the runner. "No one else was working on the product because no one else really believed in it, and it gave me the opportunity to be really the only one working on the product for basically four years," Fieg said. "I was able to tell a story and not worry about anyone interfering with that."
It's Fieg's history with ASICS and respect for the footwear company that makes it easy for him to accept his reputation amongst sneakerheads and consumers that he's "The Guy That Made ASICS Cool."
"I'm okay with that description, because I worked really hard, and I have such a close relationship with that brand," Fieg said.
He also discusses his future plans with Kith, including growing its Manhattan retail space to three times its current size. It's a renovation that will be unveiled with the launch of Fieg's first-ever adidas collaboration this Saturday, which commemorates the NYPD as well the people of New York for their strength and courage during 9/11.
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[via GQ]
