It’s only seven days into 2021 and already SBTG (Mark Ong) has dropped his first collaboration of the year. Dubbed the “Monsoon Patrol 2”, the pack offers the Asics Gel Lyte III silhouette in two colorways with an outstanding lace shroud. The SBTG Monsoon Patrol 2 is a follow-up of the first Monsoon Patrol from 2018.
Functionality is key
The new SBTG x Limited Edt x Asics Gel Lyte III “Monsoon Patrol 2” retains the waterproof features of the first edition, and these are the nylon paneling on the upper and a detachable lace shroud.
A new feature not found on the previous model is the “Rebel Lacing System” that incorporates elastic laces at the midfoot and the heel of the sneaker.
“It adds a little to the aesthetics as it spills out of the shroud but it also serves a function whereby you don’t need to lace up the laces” Mark explained. “You can just slip it on.”
These sneakers offer the kind of cool convenience that we’ve come to expect of SBTG’s design sensibilities that are very much inspired by military designs.
Material and make
Each of the SBTG Monsoon Patrol 2 colorways, grey and black, feature a mix of suedes, nylon, leathers and meshes in tonal shades of the respective colorway.
“I love how the same color can also create contrast depending on the materials we chose to layer,” Mark said.
A Trojan horse in Singapore
In any pack, the black colorway tends to become the most sought after. The same goes for the Monsoon Patrol 2 in black, of which only 300 pairs are available — and only in Singapore.
“We saw the black colorway as a Trojan horse of sorts,” Mark said.
In order to purchase the Monsoon Patrol 2 in the black colorway, customers need to first get pair of the shoes in grey. Random pairs of the grey colorway will come with a golden ticket that will grant owners the opportunity to buy the black colorway.
“We wanted to have a Singapore exclusive and make the retail experience more fun for people. Everything has gone online and we saw this as a way to add more excitement.”
The SBTG x Limited Edt x Asics Gel Lyte III “Monsoon Patrol 2” available in grey (S$209) and black (S$249) are available at Limitededt.com.
This interview has been edited and condensed.