ASICS

ASICS was founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka in Kobe, Japan, originally as Onitsuka Co., Ltd. The company's first product was a basketball shoe inspired by the suction cups of an octopus, reflecting Onitsuka's belief that sports could help rebuild the spirit of post-war Japanese youth. The brand gained international renown at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and in 1977 Onitsuka merged with two other companies to form ASICS — an acronym of the Latin phrase "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano" (a sound mind in a sound body), taken from the Roman poet Juvenal.

ASICS has long been synonymous with running excellence. Its Gel cushioning technology, developed in 1986 after studying the shock-absorbing properties of eggshells, became the cornerstone of the brand's identity. The Gel-Kayano series, named after legendary designer Toshikazu Kayano, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023 and remains one of the most prestigious stability running shoes ever made. The Gel-Nimbus, Gel-Cumulus, and MetaSpeed series continue to be favorites among marathoners and elite racers worldwide.

Beyond performance running, ASICS holds a prized place in sneaker culture. Its retro runners — particularly the Gel-Lyte III (with its revolutionary split tongue designed by Shigeyuki Mitsui in 1990) and the Gel-Kayano 14 — have been rediscovered by a new generation of sneaker enthusiasts. Collaborations with Kiko Kostadinov, Atmos, Ronnie Fieg (KITH), and HAL Studios have brought ASICS firmly into the fashion conversation, while the brand's commitment to biomechanical research at its Institute of Sport Science in Kobe keeps it at the forefront of athletic innovation.