By Erin Irish
Asics is a Japanese multinational corporation that produces sportswear, footwear and sports equipment for many sports worldwide. The company — headquartered in Kobe, Japan — was founded in 1948 by Kihachiro Onitsuka. The name “Asics” is an acronym that comes from the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano, which means “a healthy soul in a healthy body.”
Onitsuka started out manufacturing basketball shoes, but the company now produces a wide variety of Olympic styles worn by athletes all over the world. In 2006, Asics generated 171 billion yen in sales and 13 billion yen in net income: 66 percent from sport shoes, 24 percent from sportswear and 10 percent from sports equipment. Most sales are in Japan, followed by the United States, then Europe.
Asics sponsors many teams for many different sports worldwide. Company sponsorships include association football, Australian football, baseball, cricket, field hockey (US National Team), roller hockey, golf, handball, netball, rugby, swimming, tennis, table tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball.