The Asics Gel Lyte II was the first ever running shoe to features ASICS' innovative GEL technology, introduced in 1986. The Asics Gel Lyte II was an upgraded version of the high performance X-CALIBER GT, a flagship model which was popular in the U.S. and Europe at the time. The GT-II featured ASICS GEL to provide greater cushioning than the X-CALIBER GT.