{"id":27853,"date":"2024-12-18T16:33:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T15:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/?p=27853"},"modified":"2024-12-18T16:35:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T15:35:00","slug":"onitsuka-tiger-asics-history-of-design-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/onitsuka-tiger-asics-history-of-design-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"From Onitsuka Tiger to ASICS, a history of design and innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ASICS’ philosophy and style<\/strong> have made it one of the most influential sports brands in the world. Its original idea, crystallized in its name, comes from “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano”<\/strong>, a concept coined by Decimus Junius Juvenal, a Roman poet who lived between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An idea that was present in ASICS<\/strong> even before its own name, because the history of ASICS dates back to 1949, when it was created as Onitsuka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS and Onitsuka, the origin of a company<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kihachiro Onitsuka<\/strong> was a military veteran who wanted to introduce post-war children to sports. After World War II, Japan had little infrastructure and even fewer companies focused on sports. His goal was to create sneakers for women, men and children that would facilitate physical activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without much experience, Kihachiro Onitsuka began making athletic footwear that he signed with his own surname, Onitsuka Tiger<\/strong>. One of his first shoes, created for playing basketball, sought to improve grip and was inspired by the tentacles of an octopus.<\/p>\n\n\n

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During the 1950s <\/strong>and 1960s, Onitsuka grew in Asia and came to the United States through importers such as Phil Knight, who later created Nike. The early jogging, which exploded during the 1970s, grew with Onitsuka running shoes created in Japan under the guidance of one Bill Bowerman, a near-permanent coach at the University of Oregon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early greats included Abebe Bikila<\/strong>, Steve Prefontaine<\/strong>, Toru Terasawa<\/strong>, Shigeki Tanaka<\/strong>, who won the 1951 Boston Marathon in Onitsuka Tabi. At the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Onitsuka won its first medals, which came in a sport in which the brand has always had a big impact, wrestling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger Stripe, the logo of Onitsuka and ASICS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first Onitsuka sneakers were not identified with a single logo, they used two or three lateral stripes, functional pieces or simple patches. In 1966 they proposed to unify their image for the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games<\/strong> and created the so-called “Mexico Stripes”, four easily identifiable lines that also had a functional meaning because they served as lateral support. They appeared for the first time on the Onitsuka Limber UP and later on the Mexico 66, their success was so great that they became the image of the brand and were renamed “Tiger Stripes”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The birth of ASICS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the late 1970s, Onitsuka Tiger, until then focused on sports footwear, decides to grow in other areas and merges with two other textile companies, GTO and Jelenk. The new group will have a new name, although it will keep Onitsuka’s ideas of promoting sports. This is the birth of ASICS<\/a>, which for a while and to facilitate the process, continued to use Tiger as a surname. Onitsuka Tiger became first ASICS Tiger and finally ASICS<\/strong>. Onitsuka, the original name, is still used in special collections inspired by its heritage and new trends.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS is the acronym for Anima Sana In Corpore Sano<\/a><\/strong> (A healthy mind in a healthy body), a phrase used by the Latin poet Juvenal in his Satire X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano.
fortem posce animum mortis terrore carentem,
qui spatium vitae extremum inter munera ponat
naturae, qui ferre queat quoscumque labores,
nesciat irasci, cupiat nihil et potiores
Herculis aerumnas credat saevosque labores
et venere et cenis et pluma Sardanapalli.
monstro quod ipse tibi possis dare; semita certe
tranquillae per virtutem patet unica vitae.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the image of the new company, Asics Tiger, it turned to PAOS (Progressive Artists Open System)<\/strong>, a Japanese agency that created the concept to be worked on. Two American creators, Herb Lubalin<\/strong> (known for his Avant Garde typography) and Alan Peckolick<\/strong> (a painter and graphic designer who also worked for AT&T, GM, Pfizer, Mobil, Revlon and Mercedes-Benz). The image of the new brand was to focus on the objectives of this newly born corporation, ASICS: international, focused on quality product and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design finally accepted has details of Lubalin’s principles, which rejected functionality in the search for decorative elements and was developed by PAOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important sneakers in the history of Onitsuka and ASICS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OK Shoe<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some of the first shoes created by Kihachiro Onitsuka were basic basketball shoes, but the OK (the initials of its creator) had something special. At a dinner party, while eating octopus, Kihachiro Onitsuka wondered if he could bring that traction capability to his shoes. Those OK Shoe<\/strong>, still without a specific name, were Onitsuka’s first major design and some of his ideas were developed into later models such as the Onitsuka Fabre.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Onitsuka Marathon Tabi<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tabi shoes<\/strong> (with the big toe separated from the rest) are a traditional design of Japanese culture dating back to the 16th century. In 1951, just a few years after World War II, Shigeki Tanaka<\/strong>, an athlete from a small town outside Hiroshima who lived through the aftermath of the atomic bomb at the age of 13, entered the start of the Boston Marathon. Japan had been excluded from the 1948 Olympic Games and Boston was one of the first public appearances by Japanese athletes. Tanaka won with Onitsuka shoes designed under the same minimalist idea as the Tabi shoes. Since then, Onitsuka and Asics have created occasional models that bring back the Tabi ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Onitsuka Magic Runner<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kihachiro Onitsuka<\/strong> investigated the reason for blisters and discovered that they were related to the heat released during physical activity. To prevent this, he created a model in which the important thing was the flow of air through the perforations created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka Marup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kihachiro Onitsuka developed a special midsole compound, a foam that allowed for greater cushioning and comfort. The first model to use it was originally called Marathon-Up and eventually became Marup<\/strong>, a saga that, with different designs and materials, continued until the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka Rubber Sponge<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka Rubber Sponge<\/strong> is the first shoe to use a synthetic rubber outsole, which maintained elasticity and reactivity while preventing water and sweat absorption. It was a lighter and more durable compound than traditional rubber and was a success as a training shoe, before the same material was used in other models.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Onitsuka Mexico<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1966<\/strong> Onitsuka created a specific model for the Olympic Games to be held two years later in Mexico. These shoes, inspired by the Limber Leather, could be used on a daily basis and as a basic training model. They were the public presentation of the new Onitsuka logo, present in the Runspark range, the shoes created for different athletic specialties. Among them was the Runspark DS-SP, the first running shoe with interchangeable spikes, allowing it to adapt to different distances, surfaces and weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Onitsuka Runspark<\/strong> was also the protagonist of one of the first cases of “ambush marketing” during the Olympic Games. In the Montreal 1976, the Finnish runner Lasse Viren, intended to repeat what he had achieved in Munich; 5000m, 10000m and marathon. After winning his first gold in the 5000m, Viren took off his Onitsuka shoes and showed them to the public, which the International Olympic Committee felt violated the amateur code of the event. According to Viren, he did so because he had blisters. He was initially sanctioned, preventing him from participating in the 10000m, but two hours before the event his suspension was lifted and he was able to take another gold.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several decades later, the Onitsuka Mexico<\/strong> had a huge commercial success following the release of the two-volume Kill Bill<\/strong>, where the main character, the girlfriend played by Uma Thurman, wore Onitsuka shoes inspired by those worn by Bruce Lee<\/strong> in Game of Death. Although Uma wore a pair of Onitsuka Tai Chi<\/strong>, it was the Onitsuka Mexico, a simpler model for everyday wear, that captured the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Onitsuka Cortez<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the late 1960s<\/strong>, Onitsuka began distributing its running products through Blue Ribbon Sports<\/strong>, a company created by Phil Knight<\/strong> and Bill Bowerman<\/strong> that a few years later changed its name to Nike<\/a>. Blue Ribbon Sports not only imported running sneakers from Japan, they also provided Onitsuka with feedback from their American customers, who needed a different product to match the growing jogging craze. From that feedback and ideas from trainer Bill Bowerman, Onitsuka created the Cortez, a model that later had a double life. Once Nike<\/strong> and Onitsuka<\/strong> parted ways (and after a trial), Nike continued to use the same design with a new logo and the Cortez name and Onitsuka turned it into the Corsair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both shared the base of their creation, with three layers in the midsole for improved cushioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka Fabre<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970s Onitsuka took some of the ideas from Kihachiro Onitsuka’s early designs to develop a novel basketball shoe, the Onitsuka Fabre<\/strong>. At a time when basketball, as a sport and as a style, was growing in Japan, the Onitsuka Fabre (with a name derived from Fast Break) brought flexibility, grip and cushioning in a minimalist and simple style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka California<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Onitsuka had known the jogging phenomenon from the beginning thanks to the Cortez and in the late seventies renewed its designs with the Onitsuka California<\/strong>, with extra cushioning in the midsole for stability, nylon and suede in the upper and a novelty, reflective materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Tiger X-Caliber GT<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally created as a successor to the X-Caliber, which popularized EVA foams<\/strong>, the ASICS Tiger X-Caliber GT<\/strong> (the surname GT comes from Gran Turismo) also took ideas from the ventilation flow of the Onitsuka Magic Runner<\/strong> and Air-Flex in the midsole, which provided not only ventilation but extra flexibility where it was needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS TARTHER<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally called Tarther SPS<\/strong>, it was launched in 1983<\/strong> with the intention of being the fastest shoe, for which the soles, which were usually flat, were redesigned to give them a new shape to propel forward. It was also the first model to use pre-molded EVA in the midsole.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The name Tarther was created from the Tiger and Racer concepts and served to name a saga of shoes that developed over the next three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Gel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the mid-1980s, ASICS entered into a partnership with TAICA<\/strong>, a company dedicated to the development of new materials used in everything from pens to engines. Together they created a new technology that would completely change the evolution of cushioning systems, which they called Alpha Gel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Gel was a semi-fluid silicone-based substance with high shock absorption capabilities. Encapsulated within the EVA midsole at biomechanically determined points of greatest impact, it was able to disperse force in a vertical plane and dissipate vibration. Not only does it reduce fatigue, it also reduces the chance of injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Freaks Alpha<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first appearance of this novel material was in the ASICS Freaks Alpha<\/strong>, a sneaker that was available only in the Japanese market. It was 1986 and functioned as a test of the Gel cushioning system. One fact speaks to its success: almost four decades later, Gel is still the leading cushioning system.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GT-II<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The name GT (Gran Turismo), which ASICS had used on the X-Caliber, became associated with ASICS’ great creations. The GT-II already used Alpha Gel System, which ensured the highest cushioning capacity with different densities in the midsole to improve stability.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS Gel Lyte\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A year later, in 1987<\/strong>, the success became a global phenomenon thanks to the worldwide launch of the ASICS Gel Lyte<\/strong>, which stood out not only for being the sneaker that popularized the use of gel, but also had a triple-density midsole. All in 9.9 ounces, about 280 grams.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS Gel Lyte III<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the Gel Lyte came the Gel Lyte II, of course. And in 1990<\/strong>, the Gel Lyte III<\/strong>, a sneaker seemingly similar to its predecessor, albeit with a revolutionary detail: the forked tongue. Originally created by Shigeyuki Mitsui, the ASICS Gel Lyte III had a 21st century renaissance through collaborations with big names like Ronnie Fieg<\/strong>, Patta<\/strong>, Alife<\/strong>, Atmos<\/strong>, Kith <\/strong>and Comme des Gar\u00e7ons<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Gel-SPOTLYTE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the 1980s, ASICS cemented its relationship with running but also made its mark in basketball, including in the NBA<\/strong>. Isiah Thomas, Sam Perkins and Michael Cooper all wore ASICS during their professional careers. The GEL-SPOTLYTE<\/strong> was based on the lightweight concept that the brand had developed in running and was aimed at the fastest players. It was designed based on the experiences developed with another historical model, the ASICS EX89<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS Gel-KAYANO Trainer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1993 saw the birth of one of the most important sagas in the history of running, the Kayano. Originally called Kayano Trainer, they were named after their designer<\/a>, Toshikazu Kayano<\/strong>, and were initially designed for runners looking for a sneaker that could also be used for training in the gym (as was the case with Toshikazu Kayano).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the second version onwards, the Gel-KAYANO Trainer lost its surname and became the Gel-KAYANO, a saga that remains three decades later as the best cushioning model.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Gel-LYTE V<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The new addition to the Gel-Lyte saga was a small technological evolution, maintaining the advances of the midsole and its inserts that improved stability, although it stood out for a lycra collar that allowed a better fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many years after its life associated with runners, the ASICS Gel-Lyte V<\/strong> revived in the golden age of sneakers with limited editions and collaborations with Ronnie Fieg, SBTG or Atmos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS GT-2000<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The KAYANO Trainer shared the limelight in 1993 with the ASICS GT-2000<\/strong>, a shoe focused on comfort and protection for overpronators.<\/p>\n\n\n

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GT, the acronym used in the eighties on the Xcaliber and which stood for Gran Turismo, was forever linked to a saga that has grown not only with the GT-2000, but also with the GT-1000, GT-2000 and GT-2160.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Gel-KAYANO 5<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1999 came the fifth version of the KAYANO, already considered one of the great running shoes. The main technological innovation was Duosole (a sole made of double-layer polyurethane resin, implemented together with a synthetic fabric), two visible GEL units and DuoMax, a dual-density midsole system that facilitated stability.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GEL-1090<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ASICS GEL-1090<\/strong> is an original model from 2003, developed as a multi-purpose model for runners of all types, the GEL-1090 got a new one twenty years later, with a relaunch that relied on the return of the Y2K aesthetic. A design that made an impact on its return as a women’s shoe, thanks to the styling created to suit the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 9\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Nimbus saga appeared in 1999 as the most cushioned option for runners, with very different designs resulting from the need to combine new materials and shapes. The 2007 Nimbus 9<\/strong> made an impact at the time, not only for its performance, created from a segmented midsole, but also for the contrast of materials and colors that achieved an industrial image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its re-releases, launched with Jessica Gonsalves<\/strong>, Kiko Kostadinov Studio<\/strong> or Brain Dead<\/strong>, paved the way for new creations, such as the GEL-NIMBUS 10.1 designed from the Nimbus saga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS GEL-1130<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another model that regained its relevance long after its origin. The ASICS GEL-1130<\/a><\/strong> was created in 2008 as a shoe for runners who needed stability, based on the ideas created for the Kayano series. It was brought back into the spotlight fifteen years later as a silhouette perfect for new aesthetics.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GEL-KAYANO 14<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another model from 2008, considered as the best running shoe available, was reborn a few years later as a trend. The ASICS GEL-KAYANO 14<\/a><\/strong> returned with a contemporary style<\/a> that fits perfectly into the current trend of reviving the shapes and designs of the late 90s and early 2000s. With overlays, silver tones and reflective materials, this silhouette not only captures the retro aesthetic, but also offers superior comfort thanks to its advanced and visible technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A model that is constantly renewed through exclusive collaborations with renowned brands and designers such as JJJJound<\/strong>, Unaffected<\/strong>, Ice Studios<\/strong> and Angelo Baque<\/strong>, bringing a fresh and modern twist to a timeless classic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GT-2160<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally launched in 2011, the ASICS GT-2160<\/strong><\/a> was the fruit of the evolution of the GT saga, the one created in 1993 from the “Gran Turismo” concept coined for the X-Caliber GT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its revival a decade later was still based on comfort<\/a>, but added an extra dose of design through collaborations and special editions with Above The Clouds, Marvel or Kiko Kostadinov Studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASICS Gel-NYC<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ASICS Gel-NYC<\/strong><\/a> is Inspired by New York City<\/a>, which demands active style, and historic ASICS models, updated with current technology. Referencing the GEL-NIMBUS 3<\/strong> and GEL-MC PLUS V<\/strong> upper, created from a GEL-CUMULUS 16<\/strong> last, they combine new style with everyday comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GEL-TERRAIN<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ASICS’ specialized trail and trail running line, GEL-TRABUCO, is the inspiration for the ASICS GEL-TERRAIN<\/a><\/strong>, a sneakers that perfectly captures the outdoor style<\/strong> and converts it into a contemporary and comfortable silhouette for everyday use. New technologies like FLYTEFOAM and the essential GEL in a GT-2000 8-inspired structure.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ASICS GEL-QUANTUM 360 VIII<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

La saga GEL-QUANTUM es la apuesta definitiva de ASICS por la tecnolog\u00eda aplicada al d\u00eda a d\u00eda<\/a>, con nuevos materiales que derivan de la experiencia deportiva adaptada a un uso casual. Modelos como la ASICS GEL-QUANTUM 360 VIII<\/a><\/strong> la principal fuerza de dise\u00f1o de la colecci\u00f3n GEL-QUANTUM gracias a sus formas inspiradas en la naturaleza, la tecnolog\u00eda TRUSSTIC que mejora la estabilidad, la mediasuela DIVISION SPACE que aporta m\u00e1s amortiguaci\u00f3n con menos peso con el compuesto FF BLAST PLUS ECO<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ASICS’ philosophy and style have made it one of the most influential sports brands in the world. Its original idea, crystallized in its name, comes from “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano”, a concept coined by Decimus Junius Juvenal, a Roman poet who lived between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":27772,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"powerkit_post_featured":[4,7,5,6,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-27853","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27853"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27926,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27853\/revisions\/27926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27853"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.footdistrict.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=27853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}