| Asics is a Japanese company that officially started | | | | Abebe Bikila. Bikila, who was from Ethiopia, was in |
| business on September 1, 1949 under the name | | | | the habit of running marathons barefoot. The 1960 |
| Onitsuka Co., Ltd. Its founder - Kihachiro Onitsuka - | | | | Olympics in Rome were no exception. Bikila won the |
| set up shop in Kobe, Japan. Onitsuka had a mission. | | | | race in world record time, becoming the first black |
| He wanted to use sports to rehabilitate youth in Japan | | | | African to receive an Olympic Gold Medal. Four |
| growing up in the aftermath of World War II. Kobe, | | | | years later, before the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, |
| Japan had been badly destroyed by B-29 bombers on | | | | Onitsuka decided to have a word with Bikila. He |
| March 17, 1945. The attack resulted in the death of | | | | convinced the marathoner to wear a lightweight pair of |
| 8,841 civilians and the destruction of 21 percent of the | | | | Onitsuka shoes with ventilation holes to keep the soles |
| urban area. | | | | of the feet cool. Bikila decided to take Onitsuka up |
| Onitsuka did not have any experience making shoes | | | | on his offer. He won the marathon in world record |
| when he decided to start his own company but this | | | | time and became the first athlete to win Olympic gold |
| lack of experience did not dampen his ambition. | | | | in the marathon two Olympics in a row. The |
| Onitsuka Co., Ltd. was the first Japanese company to | | | | relationship between Onitsuka and Bikila remained, and |
| design basketball shoes. Legend has it that the soles | | | | when Bikila passed away Onitsuka donated one million |
| of these basketball shoes were inspired by the suction | | | | dollars to Unicef in Bikila’s memory. |
| cups of an octopus that Onitsuka Co., Ltd. was eating | | | | It was not until 1977 that Onitsuka Co., Ltd. became |
| in a salad. In 1951, Onitsuka Co., Ltd. went on to | | | | Asics. The new company name is an acronym that |
| develop the country’s first volleyball shoes. Soon | | | | stands for, “anima sana in corpore sano.” This |
| the shoe company was experiencing international | | | | Latin phrase translates to, "a sound mind in a sound |
| success and even becoming a popular choice among | | | | body." Asics continued to be a favorite among |
| athletes at the Olympics. | | | | Olympic athletes throughout the 20th and into the 21st |
| One of the most legendary stories surrounding the | | | | century. Their line of running shoes is considered to |
| Asics brand is its relationship to marathon runner | | | | be one of the best in the world. |