Asics

In 1949, Kihachiro Onitsuka of Kobe, Japan began making running shoes in his living room. He believed that young people needed a healthier lifestyle and a greater sense of community, and he saw participation in sports as a way to achieve that goal. In 1977, the Onitsuka Co. Ltd. became Asics. The name, an acronym, derives from Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, a Latin phrase meaning, roughly, “a sound mind in a sound body.” The Asics company has several offices in Australia, and one in New Zealand. It produces a wide range of sports apparel.