ASICS began as Onitsuka Co., founded by Kihachiro Onitsuka in 1949.
Onitsuka established the company in Kobe, Japan, initially making basketball shoes. The brand later became known internationally through models such as the Mexico 66 and Tiger Corsair, using the Onitsuka Tiger name. Its designs combined Japanese manufacturing with athletic footwear development and gained recognition in running and other sports.
The modern name ASICS was adopted in 1977 after Onitsuka Co. merged with GTO and Jelenk. ASICS is an acronym derived from the Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” commonly translated as “A sound mind in a sound body.”
A frequent confusion is treating Onitsuka Tiger and ASICS as unrelated brands. Onitsuka Tiger is a lifestyle label associated with the company’s heritage, while ASICS is the performance-focused brand created after the corporate merger. Both trace their history to Onitsuka’s 1949 company.