ASICS. Healthy mind, healthy body.....healthy business!

 Aficianado....defined as "enthusiastic fan of something or someone".   Running shoes being no exception.

Most of the top brands can claim to have thousands of devoted "followers" ,including non-runners, who buy their shoes religiously to the exclusion of others.   Fellrunners who  have worn WALSH for decades and refuse to try anything else,  retro shoe buyers looking for another blast from the past from NEW BALANCE or ADIDAS. Holiday makers who wouldn't dream of stepping on that plane without a brand new pair of Reeboks on their feet.  

 Perfect business of course is having a large part of the "retro" market  for street wear plus thousands of runners eagerly awaiting brand new product.  ASICS  are in that position.  Founded in 1949 in Kobe, Japan

as ONITSUKA CO.LTD,  it was 1977 that the acronym was chosen based on the Latin  " Anima Sano In Corpore Sano (A sound mind in a healthy body) and they have gone from strength to strength ever since.

 First company out of the blocks with their 2011 shoes, the new GEL KAYANO 17   (white/onyx/red)

and new GT-2160  (white/black/royal)

had no sooner been unpacked when the customers were asking for them in the shop and over the phone.

 The KAYANO 17 is the lightest version with several tweeks to make a great product even better.  Improved ride, improved lacing system, better memory foam to the heel collar,  better sockliner.

 The GT-2160 similarly sees several enhancements.  New memory foam really "locking down" the heel, tested improvements to the forefoot overlays and better flexibility in the midsole.

  This version will maintain the top flight standing of ASICS via their 2000 series.    A top flight position which I would suggest became established when ASICS was "chosen" as the shoe of the London  Marathon.

Whilst established runners were well aware of the brand, it was this partnership which really made ASICS a running shoe brand which everybody knew.  Work done, it could be suggested they were then clever enough to pull out and save expenditure.  So many will think of ASICS as a new kid on the block compared with say adidas, Puma or even reebok.

But it was really their shoes,  alongside Reebok offroad,  which  we raced and trained in in the 1970s  albeit 

under  the ONITSUKA TIGER label; now  recreated to meet the demand from aficianados for vintage product  branded as the originals.

 Today's minimalists would heap praise on the ONITSUKA TIGER MARUP.  In the early 1970s we were all training and racing in them.  I recall going into
a sports shop in Manchester with  my £6.50......and buying 2 pairs!
  In America, the Japanese brand was retailed sold by Blue Ribbon Sports,under Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight,who went on to establish NIKE.  This picture shows the ONITSUKA TIGER shoe alongside their
NIKE MARATHON SHOE.  Almost identical.


The Japanese company could be guilty of having helped NIKE get started!  Big mistake?

By 1976, the company had merged with 2 others to expand into sports apparel and ASICS was formed.   The shoes were branded ASICS TIGER but later the Tiger aspect was dropped.   I started buying their shoes from UK distributor Starcraft in London in 1979.   Modest advertising from them in those days including this half page mono in Athletics Weekly,  December 22 1979.

 For me a major landmark in the history of ASICS is the  indelible image of double Olympic champion, flying Finn LASSE VIREN pictured after his
victory and holding aloft his ASICS Tiger shoes.
  This was despite having fallen after 12 laps on the Munich track.
  Was this a deliberate marketing ploy or just relief for feet having completed 25 laps of the track?
  Whatever the truth of the matter it was a gesture
which was guaranteed to bring the Japanese to the attention of the world.  


ASICS....healthy mind, healthy body....healthy business