Asics Sportstyle

The Onitsuka Tiger Company: From Basketball To Street Wear Icon

The history of ASICS dates back to the mid-20th century: founded as the Onitsuka Tiger Company by Kihachiro Onitsuka in Kobe, Japan, in 1949, the young sportswear label set out to promote the physical and emotional well-being among Japan’s youth after World War 2. Interestingly, the company’s first product was a basketball shoe — a sport coming from the United States, a country that a few years prior was one Japan’s fiercest enemies. Onitsuka Tiger quickly expanded their portfolio to include models for a variety of Olympic disciplines. Eventually, in 1966, the company released the Mexico 66, nicknamed “Tiger Stripes,” just in time for the 1968 Mexico Summer Olympics. Made famous by Bruce Lee kicking asses in his 1973 film Game of Death, the model remains an icon of pop culture to this day (it also featured prominently in another series of ass-kicking movies, namely Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films, which helped sustain its status). Talk about physical well-being.


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The Birth of ASICS

In 1977, Onitsuka Tiger merged with Jelenk, a Japanese sportswear manufacturer, and GTO, a fishing and sporting goods company, and rebranded to ASICS. Remember that the brand wanted to promote physical and emotional well-being? After the merger, the company’s goal was right in its name: ASICS is an abbreviation of the latin phrase anima sane in corpore sano which translates to “a healthy soul in a healthy body.” If you think that’s kinda funny, just wait until we tell you that…

… this Sportswear Giant Only Exists Because Of ASICS.

Swoosh fanboys, hold onto your laces, because this is going to rock your Dunks. Back in the 60s, a newly graduated Phil Knight secured the Onitsuka distribution rights for the Western US. In tandem with a business partner, Knight founded the Blue Ribbon Sports company to distribute the sneakers. You know, the same Blue Ribbon Sports company that eventually became known as a little sportswear manufacturer named Nike, Inc. Exactly, Nike exists because ASICS exists. We hope this won’t hurt your emotional well-being, though.