Brands
Asics SportStyle launches Gel-Nimbus 10.1 sneaker
Mumbai: Asics SportStyle has launched the Gel-Nimbus 10.1 sneaker. It’s based on the original Gel-Nimbus 10 design from 2008 but reconfigured with an updated tooling system for everyday comfort.
Iconic details, like the asymmetric paneling and open mesh construction from the model’s original design return on the upper. This design direction was originally meant to create a more accommodating fit and complement the foot’s natural bone structure. The quarter mesh application is also met with a seamless mesh panel that’s rendered with a unique geometric pattern.
In the mid to late 2000s, Asics running shoes started using segmented midsole designs with industrial-like aesthetics. The tooling system for this sneaker retains this signature structure, featuring a dual-layer EVA foam, rearfoot and forefoot Gel technology inserts, and a Trusstic support unit. These elements help create a combination of cushioning and stability for better comfort in everyday scenarios.
The Gel-Nimbus 10.1 sneakers will be unveiled on Asics SportStyle online and in select stores for Rs 13,999.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
