ASICS launched the Gel-Lyte III with its signature split tongue in 1990.
The ASICS Gel-Lyte III was designed by Shigeyuki Mitsui and released in 1990. Its most recognizable feature is the tongue split down the middle, allowing the two sides to wrap around the foot and remain in position. The shoe also used GEL cushioning and a layered upper typical of performance footwear from the period.
The split tongue was intended as a functional alternative to a traditional single tongue, helping the shoe stay centered while the wearer moved. Its unusual construction later became one of the defining visual traits of the Gel-Lyte III in sneaker culture.
ASICS is the brand’s current name; the company was founded in Japan as Onitsuka Co. and used Onitsuka Tiger branding on earlier products. That history can cause confusion, but the Gel-Lyte III itself is identified with ASICS and its 1990 launch.