About ASICS
Since its founding in 1949, ASICS Group has been committed to nurturing the world’s youth through sports in order to contribute to society. Our vision has been to “Create Quality Lifestyle through Intelligent Sport Technology” and our mission to provide goods and services that promote healthy and fulfilling lifestyles throughout the world.
1940’s
Kihachiro Onitsuka Founds Onitsuka Co., Ltd.
After returning home from the war in 1945, Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka establishes ONITSUKA Shokai in Kobe in 1949. In the same year, the company is reorganized as ONITSUKA Co., Ltd. with four employees and a capitalization of 300,000 yen.
Later, the company name is changed to ASICS, an acronym for the Latin expression «Anima Sana In Corpore Sano» («You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body»), a quote from the Roman satirist Juvenal. The proverb is suggested to Mr. Onitsuka by a wartime friend offering business advice, Mr. Kohei Hori, who at the time is Director of Health and Physical Education at the Hyogo Prefecture Board of Education. The words make a deep impression on Mr. Onitsuka, inspiring his dedication to making athletic shoes with the aim of nurturing healthy young people through sports.
1950’s
First Basketball Shoe is Released
A Basketball shoe is the first sports athletic shoe made by ONITSUKA Co., Ltd.
At the time, basketball shoes are thought to be the most difficult athletic shoe to manufacture, but Mr. Onitsuka feels that «if he can overcome a high hurdle at the start, he will be able to continue overcoming other hurdles as well».
Mr. Onitsuka gives prototypes of his shoes to players at one of the leading basketball powerhouses of the day, where the shoes are repeatedly tested and refined, until the first model is released in the spring of 1950.