Created in 1949, Japanese athletic equipment company was founded by Kihachiro Onitsuka. Ontitsuka began Asics by manufacturing basketball shoes in his hometown, Kobe, Japan. The company’s name is an acronym for “anima sana in corpore sano”, translating to a “healthy soul in a healthy body”. In its early stages of production, Asics was known as Onitsuka Tiger, taking the last name of the creator.
Asics History
In its early stages, the athletic company was making basketball shoes, but soon branched out into other sports. In 1977, Onitsuka Tiger merged with GTO and JELENK forming ASICS Corporation. Now, Asics has come a long way since producing only basketball sneakers and create footwear and equipment for other sports including, football, running, netball, tennis, squash, martial arts and more.
Asics not only produces footwear and equipment, but also endorses professional athletes including footballers David Suazo, Julio Cesar and Fabio Grosso to name a few. Football clubs like Empoli, Genoa, Lecce and Torino are also sponsored by Asics.