Asics

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For the integrated circuit (ASIC), see Application-specific integrated circuit.
ASICS Corporation
TypePublic (K.K)
TYO: 7936
IndustrySports equipment, textile
Founded
  • September 1, 1949; 74 years ago (September 1, 1949) (as Onitsuka Tiger)
  • 1977; 47 years ago (1977) (renamed to Asics)
FounderKihachiro Onitsuka [ja]
Headquarters
Kobe
,
Japan
Number of locations
1,900 outlet stores worldwide (July 31, 2022)[1]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kiyomi Wada (Chairman)
ProductsSneakers, clothing
RevenueIncrease ¥404.0 billion (2021)[2]
Increase ¥21.9 billion (2021)[2]
Decrease ¥9.4 billion (2021)[2]
Number of employees
8,904 (2020)[3]
Subsidiaries
List
    • Haglöfs
    • Runkeeper
    • ASICS Europe B.V.
    • ASICS Sports Corporation
    • ASICS Tiger Corporation
    • ASICS Tiger do Brasil Ltda.
    • ASICS Tiger Oceana Pty.
Websiteasics.com

Asics (アシックス, Ashikkusu)[a] is a Japanese multinational corporation which produces sportswear. The name is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano (translated by Asics as "a sound mind, in a sound body").[4] Products manufactured and marketed by Asics include footwear (sneakers, sandals), clothing (t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, swimwear, compression garments, pants, socks), and accessories (bags, backpacks, caps).

History

Main article: Onitsuka Tiger
Inside of the Asics store on Newbury Street, in the Back Bay section of Boston

Asics began as Onitsuka Co., Ltd on September 1, 1949.[3] Founder Kihachiro Onitsuka began manufacturing basketball shoes in his home town of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The range of sports activities serviced by the company expanded to a variety of Olympic styles used since the 1950s by athletes worldwide. Onitsuka became particularly known for the Mexico 66 design,[5] in which the distinctive crossed stripes (now synonymous with the company) were featured for the first time; martial artist Bruce Lee helped popularize the shoe. Onitsuka Tiger merged with fishing and sporting goods company GTO and athletic uniform maker Jelenk to form Asics Corporation in 1977;[3] Onitsuka was named president of the new company. Despite the name change a vintage range of Asics shoes are still produced and sold internationally under the Onitsuka Tiger label.[4]

Asics bought the Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs, for ¥11.4 billion ($128.7 million) on July 12, 2010.[6] In February 2016 Asics acquired fitness app Runkeeper.[7][8]

Asics generated ¥404 billion in net sales and ¥9.4 billion in net income in fiscal year 2021. 58% of the company's income came from the sale of performance running shoes, 21% from other shoes, 10% from apparel and equipment, and 11% from Onitsuka Tiger. 26% of the company's sales were in Japan, 20% in North America, 25% in Europe, 12% in China and 17% in other regions.[2]

Relationship with Nike

Nike, Inc. (originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports) was founded to sell Onitsuka Tiger shoes in the US. When Phil Knight visited Japan in 1963 shortly after he graduated from Stanford University he was impressed by Onitsuka Tiger shoes and immediately visited the Onitsuka Tiger office and asked to be their sales agent in the US.[9] After a number of years the relationship crumbled and both companies sued each other, with Nike retaining the naming rights to several shoes.[9]

Running Shoe Lineup

Regular Cushion: Gel-Contend 8, Gel-Excite 9, Gel-Kumo Lyte 2, GT-800

Extra Cushion: Gel-Pulse 13, GT-1000 11, Gel-Pursue 7, GT-2000 10, Gel-Cumulus 24

Maximum Cushion: Gel-Nimbus Lite 3, Gel-Kayano Lite 3, Gel-Nimbus 24, Gel-Kayano 29, Gel-Kinsei Blast

Blast: Versablast 2, Fuzeblast, Roadblast, Dynablast 3, Novablast 3

Ride: Evoride 3, Glideride 3, Metaride

Speed: Hyper Speed, DS Trainer 26, Noosa Tri 14, Magic Speed 2, Metaspeed Edge, Metaspeed Sky

Sponsorships

Main article: List of Asics sponsorships
Novak Djokovic endorsed Asics footwear from the start of the 2018 season

Asics sponsors a variety of sports associations, teams and individuals; sponsorships include World Athletics and the Los Angeles Marathon.[10][11] The company announced on October 4, 2011 that it would be the new official kit manufacturer for the Australian Cricket Team, replacing German manufacturer Adidas.[12]

Controversies

Working conditions

In March 2017, employees assembling Asics products in Cambodia fainted due to thick smoke present in the factory where they were working. The company responded to this by saying that it, along with the factory in question, would "address specific measures, with a focus on workers’ awareness and health and safety training, as well as including an improved air ventilation system".[13]

In March 2021, while several Western clothing brands expressed concern over allegations of forced Uyghur labor involved in Xinjiang cotton production, Asics announced that it would continue to source cotton from the region.[14]

Gallery

  • The Asics logo from 1977 to 2003.

    The Asics logo from 1977 to 2003. Still used for Asics Tiger line.

  • A pair of Asics wrestling shoes, model Split Second V

    A pair of Asics wrestling shoes, model Split Second V

  • Kinsei.jpg

    A pair of Asics running shoes, model GEL-Kinsei

  • A pair of Asics running shoes, model Gel-Pulse 11

    A pair of Asics running shoes, model Gel-Pulse 11

  • Asics Gel-Cumulus 22, men's running shoes

    Asics Gel-Cumulus 22, men's running shoes

  • Asics Gel-Kayano 26, women's running shoes

    Asics Gel-Kayano 26, women's running shoes

Notes

  1. ^ Officially ASICS Corporation[3]

References

  1. ^ "Asics opens subsidiaries in Chile and Peru".
  2. ^ a b c d "ASICS Annual Report 2021" (PDF). ASICS. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "ASICS Corporation Practical Information". corp.asics.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  4. ^ a b "History of ASICS Corporation". FundingUniverse. Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  5. ^ Ryall, Julian (2019-11-02). "Bruce Lee, Uma Thurman and the story of Onitsuka Tiger shoes". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  6. ^ Katsumura, Mariko (2010-07-12). "Japan's ASICS buys Sweden's Haglofs for $128.7 mln". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  7. ^ "RunKeeper acquired by sportswear giant Asics". VentureBeat. 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  8. ^ "Fitness App Runkeeper To Be Acquired By Running Shoe Maker ASICS". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  9. ^ a b Knight, Philip H. (2016). Shoe dog : a memoir by the creator of Nike. New York. ISBN 978-1-5011-3591-0. OCLC 945804148.
  10. ^ McCullagh, Kevin (2019-09-27). "IAAF extends Asics deal for 10 years, approves name change". SportBusiness. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  11. ^ Glendinning, Matthew (2019-04-11). "Asics returns to road running with LA Marathon deal". SportBusiness Sponsorship. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  12. ^ Emmett, James (2011-11-04). "ASICS partner with Cricket Australia – Sports Sponsorship news – Cricket Oceania". SportsPro Media. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  13. ^ McVeigh, Karen (2017-06-24). "Cambodian female workers in Nike, Asics and Puma factories suffer mass faintings". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2022-06-05. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  14. ^ "Xinjiang cotton: Western clothes brands vanish as backlash grows". BBC News. 2021-03-26. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2021-04-08.

External links

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