In the world of footwear, the perpetual debate about whether footwear looks best fresh out the box or slightly cooked will always be alive.

For the collectors out there, the idea of even attempting to fit a foot into their prized possessions is cringeworthy. For the rest of us, and particularly skaters, the idea of leaving the house in crisp white kicks is equally cringeworthy. Luckily, with the ASICS Japan Pro in White/Illusion Blue, you don’t need to pick a side.

The idea of a wear-away upper is nothing new. The shoe is constructed with multiple layers of color on the upper, each of which rubbing away after extensive use to reveal what’s beneath.

But while it can sometimes feel like a gimmicky detail that actually negatively impacts a shoe’s wearability, the ASICS Japan Pro does it with finesse, tearing away a clean white upper to reveal a stunning Illusion Blue foundation.

For starters, it helps that the silhouette of the ASICS Japan Pro is a great starting point. Understated and incredibly versatile, it offers the ideal blank canvas on which to try more experimental colorways like this.

What’s more, executing this style on a shoe designed for skateboarding is a stroke of genius. There are few activities that shred your kicks like skateboarding, and even fewer where a pair of crushed shoes is treated with more respect.

The ASICS Japan Pro White/Illusion Blue acts as a live record of each trick, leaving a mark with every move. If you’ve managed to work your way down to a full blue pair, you’ve earned your spot in the park.

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