THE SHOE INSPIRED BY THE KALINGA TRIBE

Asics Tiger and award-winning specialty boutique Commonwealth preserves Filipino culture through their latest collaboration. With stores in Washington, DC and Virginia Beach, Commonwealth has looked to its newest store in Manila, Philippines and the Kalinga tribe to create a sneaker that pays homage to one of the country’s preserved traditions.

The Kalinga are an ethnic group in the Philippines who inhabit the mountains of Luzon. Due to the mountainous terrain and warrior culture of the people, the Kalinga natives were able to preserve their culture despite centuries of occupation in the lowlands by the Spaniards, Americans and the Japanese.

That includes the intricate tribal art of body adornment, drawing on basic geometric shapes and nature-inspired designs. This ancient technique of adornment is called batok and dates back 1,000 years. These designs were used to communicate with one another for generations. They represented who they were, where they came from and what they stood for, offering an insight into the tribe’s philosophy and social standards.

Inspired by that sacred tradition, dubbed the “Kultura” Gel-Lyte V, Asics Tiger and Commonwealth pay respect in sneaker form. Nubuck, premium suede and breathable mesh upper meets Kalinga-inspired art on the Gel-Lyte V’s signature mono sock-tongue, bridging the gap between a reverence for the past and a foot towards the future.

The shoe is originally released in 1993 as a marathon shoe while the Kultura (Tagalog for “culture”) represents the need to preserve Filipino culture and traditions as a race that’s worth running. The Kultura shoe is available at Commonwealth in SM Aura.