🎏 Afew x Beams rework on Asics Gel Lyte III with Orange “Koi”🍊🍀 — mini review

6 min readJun 25, 2022

Let’s sharing a story about sneaker detail, sizing, and online shop for this model.

Fashion is fun and sneakers make you smile 🔴🟠

This model is the collaboration between Afew and Beams on Asics Gel-Lyte iii model. With this German-Japanese friendship, it comes up with “Orange Koi” themed colorway. Koi, beside the meaning of carp, it is a symbol of luck, prosperity, and good fortune, and also of perseverance in the face of adversity in Japan🍀so there is story here. As I know, Afew and Asics used to working together with Gel Lyte 3 model with Red Koi (Kōhaku, Red & White colour way), the original one for 25th aniversary celebration. Then I’d say this Orange guy or called as Bekko koi, is a second generation of their partnership.

**For the 25th Anniversary of the Gel-Lyte III. (Ref pic :** https://www.afew-store.com)

Sneakerhead. Sneaker addict. Sneaker slave.

🎏Since it’s release on Nov 2018, it’s not possible to get at offline shop for now with retail price, and it’s not easy to grab it in online channel too, due to its limited number. The price is gone high for brand new in box condition. Luckily I’ve a chance to grab this with good second hand via ebay-kleinanzeigen.de. It’s marketplace for Europe zone, especially German. Unlike an ebay, I’d say it’s hard to be a part of their member since they required a phone number in Europe zone for register and OTP for confirmation. Nevertheless, I find a good seller here and this’s a good experience for my first time buying there. Resell price here is cheaper than normal ebay or in Japan online shop but not much. 💰Pricing is around 400 euro, excluded shipping to my country, is not a bad deal. Indeed, the Orange Koi is significant cheaper and a bit easier to find than the original Red one🛒

Year of Orange Koi 🔶

Actually the pair I got from Germany, is a wooden bento box edition🍱. It came with extra accessories such as orange koi handkerchief, black laces, reed diffuser, and history booklet on the top shelf, while the normal box stay underneath it. You can see this orange style across this normal box, this symbolises the Koi colour for the sneakers. Unfortunately, this is very heavy and shipping cost to my country will be dramatically high. So I sadly ask the seller to leave this beautiful wooden box.

Picture of full set of Asics x Afew x Beam — Orange Koi

Picture from the seller that listed in ebay-kleinanzeigen.de 💸 Thank you Marcel for this.

👟 Sneaks that bring something to the table, bringing out the best in you.

So let’s kicking it on around this shoe whether it’s different from other Gel Lyte iii or not. The colour way is combination of white, grey, navy, and orange all throughout the upper. Suede material is built, I don’t have many Asics sneaker so I’m not sure is it normal or not. Another pair of Asics I have is Gel Lyte 3 Kimono Denim 👘, and they don’t have any suede material. Anyhow, an iconic split tongue of Gel Lyte 3 is still there.

An extra pair of insole, come dark orange koi fish with Afew & Beams logos on white blackground. While the orange insole came with the shoes are the design on the body of Orange Koi fish.

Be Bold. Be Unique. Be Yourself.

✴️Interestingly, Koi inspired, the standout orange making its way onto the toe, heel, inner mesh lining and one of two specially-designed insoles. It’s switched up with light gray paneling on the middle and both lateral sides. The python black or dark navy Asics logo is standing out of the shoes. If you carefully notice, you will find the bamboo-inspired eyelets and a crisp white for the laces and perforated side panels.

Sneaker details; Afew x Beams on the shoelaces, semi-translucent sole, bamboo-inspired eyelets and dark navy Ascis symbol.

Life is like a box of sneakers. You never know what you’re going to get.

🤝🏼As the collab, Afew and Beams logo are also present on the heel. Back of each side of the shoes are not the same design. You can easily see “friendship” in Japanese alphabet stamp on the right back for added style. While the left back heel is embroidered a world wide map icon 🌎 to represent thier partnership from Europe and Asia. Moving to its sole, the Orange Koi camouflage spread on the mid foot. Still there is a hidden Koi fish which is evident in the semi-translucent sole beneath, this is very interesting for the tiny detail of this shoe. In addtional, you will have an extra lace with black colour and orange tips detailed “BEAMS” logo. Unlike the white one, there is no branding of Afew, Beams, Asics stamping on it.

Asics x Afew x Beams — “friendship” in Japanese alphabet and World map icon represent the partnership.

When you’re feeling like a boss in a pair 🔥✨

📏Sizing for Asic Gel Lyte iii is one thing you have to be concerned since this model is exatly under size. I’m a narrow feet guy and normally I wear 9 US of Nike and never have a problem. Anyway, Gel Lyte 3 or even 5 model, I’ve to be 0.5 or 1.0 size up. Since I can’t the find 9.5 US so I end up with 10 US instead and honestly, it’s still fine for roomy style. Of course there is a room but not too much and I don’t feel uncomfortable on mid foot at all. Unless you are a very snug fit person, I’d highly recommend you to wear atleast a half size up or full size up if you have a wide feet, trust me it’s not true to size🙂