Asics Sky Elite FF MT 4 — Exclusive Shine Pack

The shoe Japan's national team jumps in — the Japan-exclusive edition

This is the SHINE PACK edition of the Asics Sky Elite FF MT 4 (model code 1051A101) — the official release ASICS made with the Japan Volleyball Association. It ships to you directly from Japan by pre-order.

Colour and design

A white body with bright silver touches, a turquoise midsole and amethyst purple accents on the laces and eyelets. This is the only colourway the edition was released in, and it is not offered in any other.

What makes the Shine Pack edition different?

• Genuine exclusivity, not a marketing line — every pair comes straight from the Japanese market.
• The official national-team edition — Shine Pack is the colour set the Japanese national team wore in ASICS' official campaign this season, not just a commercial colourway.
• What the name means — Sky Elite FF is ASICS' top tier among all-round volleyball shoes (above it in the range sits the Metarise, specialised purely in jumping), and MT stands for the mid cut that rises above the ankle.

The technology

• FF BLAST MAX — the first running-shoe foam in a volleyball shoe
  A high-rebound foam taken from running shoes, used here by ASICS in a volleyball shoe for the first time. What that means for you on court: a clearer push on the last step of your approach before the spike, and a softer landing that absorbs the impact instead of passing all of it into your foot — which is what you feel in the late sets when legs begin to tire.
• Updated RISETRUSS — stability at the moment you drive
  A structure that resists midfoot twisting at the final push. What that means for you on court: the horizontal force you gathered in your approach steps turns into vertical height instead of leaking into sideways wobble, and your foot does not shift inside the shoe when you land after a block or stop suddenly — so you break away more cleanly into coverage and defence.
• DYNALACING — a wrap that holds all the way round
  A lacing system that spreads lace tension across the instep instead of concentrating it in one spot. What that means for you on court: you can pull the shoe tight for a complete lockdown without painful pressure points on top of the foot, and the hold stays put through the set instead of loosening and forcing you to stop and re-tie.
• Mid cut — support above the ankle
  The collar rises above the ankle bone and wraps it. What that means for you on court: extra reassurance on uneven landings near the net or on a team-mate's or opponent's foot, the situation that worries hitters and middle blockers most. The overall feel is firmer around the ankle than a low cut.

Who is it for?

The mid cut serves the player who jumps a lot and lands even more:

• Outside hitter — approach, drive and repeated jumps from the wings, with landings close to the line.
• Opposite — a high attacking volume and back-to-back jumps all match long; rebound and landing support serve you directly.
• Middle blocker — fast lateral movement along the net and repeated landings in the crowd of feet under it, where ankle support shows at its clearest.
• Anyone who wants extra reassurance at the ankle — if you prefer the feeling of firmness and support above the ankle to feeling exposed, this cut was designed for that.

A frank note: if you are a libero or a setter looking for maximum lightness and ankle freedom, a low cut may be closer to your style — this shoe is aimed at players who want support.