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Step into spring with a little help from some iconic Japanese imagery.

With Adidas and Rita Ora collaborating on a geisha-inspired sportswear range, and Nike releasing a trio of sakura sneakers, spring 2016 looks set to be filled with Japanese themes from some of the biggest brands around the globe. Joining them on the playing field now is Saucony, with two designs by Toshikazu Nozaka, a pro-skateboarder who now works as a tattoist, skateboard maker, and contemporary artist. His vision for two of Saucony’s popular models, the Kinvara and the DXN trainer, includes sakura cherry blossoms and a great wave, in shades of black, white and silver.

The DXN trainer retails for 10,800 yen (US$94.88) and features Nozaka’s original wave design, which takes its inspiration from traditional Japanese prints created in the early 1800s.

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▼ Nozaka’s background in tattoo artistry shines through in the design, with its bold curves and intricate inlay.

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The Kinvara 7 (12,960 yen) gets a Japanese-style makeover with the country’s well-known spring icon, the sakura cherry blossom.

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The distinctive blossoms appear alongside some bright green embellishments, heralding the lush, new foliage of spring.

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The dark blue hue on the sides of each shoe act as a nod to Japan’s traditional art of indigo dyeing, while the sakura design continues inside, appearing on the insoles.

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Available from 25 February, these beautiful sneakers will be on sale at ABC-Mart stores around Japan for a limited-time only. We can’t wait to see what else might be coming our way from other brands soon!

Source, Images: Saucony Japan