Asics
Asics is a Japanese factory of sport shoes. In 1949 Kihachiro Onitsuka (1918) established 1949 the Onitsuka Co. Ltd. in Kobe, Japan. He started with the manufacture of basketball shoes, soon adding shoes for volleyball and track.
In 1956, during the run-up to the Olympic Games in Melbourne, the positive result of close cooperatiion between manufacturers and athletes brought about an expansion of production in the areas of track and field, soccer, and skiing.
Asics at the Olympiads
During the three Olympiads of the 1960s, Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968, Onitsuka shoes were worn not only by Japanese athletes, but also by the best from other nations. An interesing story concerns the Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila who won the marathon in Rome running barefoot and was nicknamed “Barefoot Abebe.”
Abebe Bikila wears Asics
Four years later, in Tokyo, only Mr. Onitsuka was able to convince him to wear shoes created expressly for him. Since then he became known simply as “Marathon King.” Starting in the 1960s, the company enjoyed incredible success and worldwide distribution. It brought to perfection new technologies and new materials, in 1985 creating a large testing laboratory called “R&D Department of Asics.”
Customized shoes for athletes
Digital and laser technology allowed the company to produce for each athlete custom shoes that were made-to-measure within a millimeter. At the Olympics in Sidney, Naoko Takahashi, who has one leg shorter than the other by a few centimeters, wore Asics. The three companies Onitsuka, GTO and Jalenk merged in 1977 to form Asics Corporation. In 2000, the designer Hitoshi Mimura became the leader of the company.
The distribution of the brand
Asics has points-of-sale and distributors all over the world, from the U.S. to Europe, from Latin America to China, and in Israel, Dubai, India, South Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia. The company has continued the commitment, almost a philosophy, of its founder, who was the author of two books — If You Fall Down, Just Stand Up and Asics: Kihachiro Onitsuka’s Philosophy of management — to form a healthy younger generation through athletics.
In 2007 the ASICS Store opens in Tokyo, a specialty running store. The store introduces the ASICS FOOT ID service to help customers select shoes that match their foot type and running style characteristics. Later, more stores open outside of Japan, including London in 2008 and New York in 2009.
Asics acquisitions
During 2010, ASICS acquires all shares of Swedish outdoor gear company HAGLÖFS HOLDING AB, making it a consolidated subsidiary. Six years later, in 2016, ASICS acquires Fitness Keeper, Inc. in the USA as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Fitness Keeper is the operator of Runkeeper, a global fitness tracking app. In the same year, the brand launched a running shoe equipped with FlyteFoam, the lightest midsole material in the history of ASICS.
100th birthday commemorative models
By the time of 2018, to honor the founder Kihachiro Onitsuka, who supported the development of young minds and bodies through sports and encouraged people to take control of their bright futures in the same way a sunflower reaches for the sun. ASICS releases a line of “100th birthday commemorative models” on May 29th, his birthday. The product line is designed around a sunflower motif that was painted by Mr. Onitsuka during his lifetime.
Novak Djokovic is the Asics Ambassador
In 2018, Novak Djokovic will be the brand’s new Global Tennis Footwear Ambassador. Together, they have launched a new signature shoe, the GEL-RESOLUTION NOVAK, ahead of the Australian Open. In support of the partnership, digital and in-store assets have been created to drive the ‘I Move Me’ messaging and support sales of the GEL – RESOLUTION NOVAK shoe globally.
Vivienne Westwood capsule collection
In 2019, Vivienne Westwood and ASICS had pair collaborated on a limited-edition capsule collection of five sneaker styles. The partnership has resulted in a reimagination of classic ASICS styles that bring together Westwood’s notable design elements and prints with advanced performance footwear technology.
Natural fibers
In March 2020, Sportswear brand Asics teamed up with Pyrates Smart Fabrics, a textile development company, and performance streetwear brand, to launch an ecologically sustainable seven-piece yoga capsule collection made for women. The environmentally friendly seven-piece yoga collection features various fitness essentials, including leggings, wide-legged trousers, sports bras, and sweatshirts.
It utilizes natural fibers designed for optimum movement and comfort, designed and crafted by Spanish entrepreneur Regina Polanco, using Pyrate’s own Pyratex knit fabrics.
Willow Smith is a new brand ambassador
In June, Japanese fashion brand Onitsuka Tiger, part of Asics Corporation, has named Willow Smith as its brand ambassador for its Autumn/Winter 2020 Campaign. Smith, who shot the campaign before the Covid-19 pandemic, highlights a collection that marks a new era for the fashion brand, which combines a fusion among pop art, fashion, and sportswear with colorful patchwork and various materials.
The campaign shot against a desert landscape aims to create awareness surrounding the environment and world we currently inhabit, explained Andrea Pompilio, creative director of Onitsuka Tiger, while also expressing Smith’s “natural beauty and strength as well as her love for the Earth.”
Asics stands up for #BlackLivesMatter
In addition to that, Onitsuka Tiger has also announced that it will donate a part of the proceeds of this campaign’s sale to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund to support their efforts in the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
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