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
FoundedSeptember 1, 1949; 72 years ago (September 1, 1949) (as Onitsuka Tiger)
1977; 45 years ago (1977) (renamed to Asics)
FounderKihachiro Onitsuka
Headquarters
Kobe
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kiyomi Wada
(Chairman)
ProductsSneakers, clothing
Revenue Decrease ¥386.66 billion (2018)[1]
Decrease ¥10.51 billion (2018)[1]
Decrease –¥20.07 billion (2018)[1]
Number of employees
8,904 (2020)[2]
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
Novak Djokovic endorsed Asics footwear from the start of the 2018 season

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").[3] 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[edit]

Main article: Onitsuka Tiger
Asics in Vaughan Mills
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.[2] 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 throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s by athletes worldwide. Onitsuka became particularly known for the Mexico 66 design,[4] 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;[2] 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.[3]

Asics generated 171 billion yen in net sales and 13 billion yen in net income in fiscal year 2006. Sixty-six percent of the company's income came from the sale of sports shoes, 24% from sportswear, and 10% from sports equipment. Forty-nine percent of the company's sales were in Japan, 28% in North America, and 19% in Europe.[needs update]

Asics bought the Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs, for SEK1,000,000,000 ($128.7million) on July 12, 2010.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7]

Relationship with Nike[edit]

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.[8] After a number of years the relationship crumbled and both companies sued each other, with Nike retaining the naming rights to several shoes.[8]

Sponsorships[edit]

Main article: List of Asics sponsorships

Gallery[edit]

  • The Asics logo from 1977 to 2007.

    The Asics logo from 1977 to 2007.

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

    A pair of Asics wrestling shoes, model Split Second V

  • A pair of Asics running shoes, model GEL-Kinsei

    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

Working conditions[edit]

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".[9]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Officially ASICS Corporation[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "ASICS Annual Report 2018". ASICS. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "ASICS Corporation Practical Information". corp.asics.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  3. ^ a b "History of ASICS Corporation". FundingUniverse. Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.

External links[edit]

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