The shoe has gone on to become an important part of sneakerhead culture and both modern and retro fashion.

Mitsui had worked on previous models before but the Gel-Lyte III was one of the shoes that he designed 100% by himself.

He initially designed it as a light weight option for everyday use and training.

[2] The shoe only lasted in the market for 2 years before Asics replaced it with the Gel-Lyte Ultra in 1992.

It wouldn't be until the summer of 2007 when the shoe would become more popular due to all of the collaborations that the company did.