The two brands are preparing to launch ‘Welcome to the Dojo’, a collection inspired by Asics’ Japanese heritage. It tells the story of an intimidating rising sun dojo (a martial arts training location) and a respected snake dojo; a tale that is brought to life via an anime-inspired, five-episode shoppable animation series titled “The Sun and The Snake”. The show features a samurai hero, ‘Sneaker Samurai’, who is seen removing his AsicsTiger Gel-Lyte I sneakers upon entering the dojo. As he is leaving, he discovers they have been stolen, which leads him on a quest to retrieve them.

“As the voice behind the character, ‘Sneaker Samurai,’ I’m able to combine two of my personal interests – style and anime,” said actor Luka Sabbat, who also took on the role of creative collaborator for the series.

The first episode will air on Foot Locker’s social media platforms on August 21.

“By launching this exclusive collection and original series with ASICS, we’re offering an immersive experience for customers across our family of brands, who can experience ‘Welcome to the Dojo’ through creative, engaging content and unique shopping touchpoints,” said Andrew Gray, General Manager and Chief Merchandising Officer for Foot Locker North America, in a statement.

Foot Locker has a habit of producing animated films to publicize its collaborations — last fall, it teamed up with shoe brand Timberland and hip-hop recording artist Nas on a series of animated videos for its Fall 2017 ‘Legends Collection.’

‘Welcome to the Dojo’ will launch on August 24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFmkQ7mJH7g