Story mfg. doesn't really do rushing. The London label makes its clothes slowly, dyes them with plants and generally takes the scenic route. So it feels fitting that its second outing with ASICS is all about wandering around with nowhere in particular to be.
Enter the Story mfg. x ASICS GEL-Transcend FJ: a '90s-inspired hiking sneaker wrapped in the label's signature check, landing in two colourways, Dark Brown and Black. There are lace beads, a campaign starring a blacksmith and some very bendy dancers, and even a club you can (try to) join.
Here's everything we know about the Story mfg. x ASICS GEL-Transcend FJ, including when you can get your hands on a pair.
A Closer Look at the Story mfg. x ASICS GEL-Transcend FJ…
Let's start with the obvious: the check. Story mfg. has made plaid something of a calling card, and this time it's inspired by old hiking blankets. It runs over the toe box, the heel counter, the ASICS Stripes and the lacing panel. The rest of the upper is soft, breathable mesh, with recycled synthetic leather overlays adding a bit of structure.
Look closely at the toe and you'll spot the ASICS logo perforated straight into the material. Small detail, nice touch. Story mfg. branding pops up on the tongue, the lateral heel and the insole, so the collab never shouts about itself.
Then there are the beads. Each pair comes with a set you can thread onto the laces, which means no two pairs have to look the same once they're out in the wild. Very Story mfg.
Underfoot, the chunky, jagged outsole is borrowed from the GEL-FujiTrabuco 7, ASICS' long-running trail shoe. Story mfg. describes the tread as aggressive but lightweight, as well as supple and properly grippy. Handy, given that most of the UK turns into one big puddle from November onwards.
Our favourite review so far, though, comes from the blacksmith photographed for the campaign. He reckons he can sharpen 20% faster in them and asked to keep a pair for work. Not a sentence you read in many sneaker press releases.
'Dark Brown' (1203B194-200)
Officially listed as Dark Brown/Dark Brown (Story mfg. calls it 'rich brown'), this one goes fully tonal. Brown check, brown mesh, brown overlays. The result feels warm and earthy, which is exactly what you'd expect from a label that dyes its clothes with bark and roots.
'Black' (1203B194-001)
Black/Black is the moodier option. A grey check sits on a black base, giving it a slightly sharper, more city-ready feel than its brown sibling.
So, What Exactly Is the GEL-Transcend FJ?
If the silhouette doesn't ring a bell, don't worry. The GEL-Transcend FJ is a fairly new addition to ASICS' SportStyle line-up and only arrived in general-release colourways this September.
ASICS says the shoe takes its cues from the hiking and walking shoes in its 1990s archive. Look closely and you'll find elements of the Transcend series, the GEL-Odyssey and the GEL-Radius dotted across the upper. The midsole uses the GEL-FujiTrabuco 7 tooling, which is very likely where the 'FJ' in the name comes from.
In the UK, the standard version sells for £155 on ASICS.com, with a rugged leather upper in colourways such as Black Coffee/Graphite Grey. Story mfg.'s take swaps much of that leather for mesh and check, giving the shoe a lighter, softer look.
Trees Are Poems: The Collection Behind the Collab
The sneakers are part of 'Trees Are Poems', Story mfg.'s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, unveiled at the end of June. The checked pairs were first spotted around Paris Fashion Week, back when nobody knew which ASICS model was hiding underneath.
As always with Story mfg., the clothes are where things get properly interesting. The label colours its pieces with natural dyes made from earth minerals, leaves, bark, roots, heartwood, fruits, flowers, bacteria and even sunlight. The earthy browns come from bark and roots, while indigo is fermented for those deep blues.
This season also brings wax batik into the mix. Wax is applied to the fabric to resist the dye, leaving cracked, hazy patterns behind, so every piece comes out slightly different. Block printing returns too, and the words 'Trees Are Poems' are hand-drawn straight onto garments. The knitwear, meanwhile, is hand-knitted from hand-dyed organic cotton yarn.
ASICS isn't the only footwear partner in the collection, either. Story mfg. has also teamed up with PF Flyers, putting its own handwoven, naturally dyed fabric on a canvas high-top.
Who Are Story mfg.?
Story mfg. was founded in 2013 by husband-and-wife duo Saeed and Katy Al-Rubeyi. The label is built on slow fashion, vegan production and traditional craft, from dyeing and weaving to embroidery. Every garment is carefully considered, from the cut and colour right down to the materials.
This isn't the brand's first time working with ASICS. Back in spring 2025, the pair gave the GEL-Venture 6 a gingham makeover in their debut collaboration. The GEL-Transcend FJ is round two, and this time they've picked a far less familiar shoe to play with.
Join the Rambling Club
The big idea behind this drop is rambling, and it means more than you might think. To ramble is to walk. It's also to talk a lot (guilty). Even roses ramble, growing in the 'wrong' direction and looking beautiful doing it. Whichever meaning you go for, there's always a sense of freedom, and Story mfg. calls the GEL-Transcend FJ "a tribute to rambling".
The campaign continues the duo's ongoing series documenting people who do what they love. This time, they drew on ASICS' Japanese heritage and photographed a forager, a blacksmith, dancers, farmers and cyclists, all rambling in their own way and on their own terms.
So instead of trail runners on mountain tops, you get a blacksmith at his forge and dancers in full suits leaping across the street, with one even pulling off a handstand in his pair. It's playful, slightly odd and very charming.
The idea comes to life offline, too. Story mfg. and ASICS are opening the Rambling Club, with a clubhouse at the label's London studio on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. A smaller New York chapter follows at Blue In Green on 10 November.
Members get a badge and first dibs on the shoes. To join, you'll need to fill out an application form and include a hand-drawn self-portrait. As Story mfg. puts it: "it is a made-up club, but we take it very seriously." So it might be time to sharpen those pencils.
When Is the Drop Date?
Not heading to the Rambling Club? You've still got two chances. Both colourways go live on the Story mfg. website on 11 November, followed by stockists worldwide on 20 November.
Official UK pricing has yet to be confirmed. Over in Europe, retailers are listing the pair at €180. Some stores are going down the raffle route: Footshop is running one, and over in Japan, KICKS LAB. is holding a lottery too.
On release, you'll also find the Story mfg. x ASICS GEL-Transcend FJ at AFEW in both Dark Brown and Black. We'll update this article as soon as we know more about UK stockists.
In the meantime, we'll leave you with Story mfg.'s own motto for the drop: walk a little, talk too much.
IMAGE CREDITS: STORY MFG. / ASICS
