ASICS

Today we celebrate 75 years of ASICS 👟 Founded as Onitsuka Co., Ltd. on September 1st 1949 in Kobe, Japan, ASICS has always championed the benefits of movement for body and mind. The simple desire to get people moving lies behind our 75-year history of developing shoes and apparel for running, basketball, soccer, tennis, and numerous other sports. Attitudes towards physical and mental health have changed dramatically over the last 75 years. Our founding aim was to develop young people through sports. Today we aim to support the lifetime athletes in all of us with personalized products and services that help people of all ages move body and mind. From the jogging craze of the 1970s to the retro sneaker boom of the 2000s to the self-care movement of the 2020s: if there’s one thing our history has taught us, it’s that we never stand still. Here’s to the next 75 years. #ASICSHistory #SoundMindSoundBody

The ASICS family needed a place to gather, so we opened the ASICS House 🏠 Located near the Place du Trocadero, our multi-level pop-up was one of the places to be seen in Paris, a space for athletes to relax and socialize, and for visitors to try out the latest ASICS technologies from VR fitness to personalized insoles. Paris 2024 was a memorable Games for ASICS. Our figures show that our share of shoes in the marathon events was double that of Tokyo 2020, while approximately half of all competitors in the triathlon wore ASICS shoes. In tennis, ASICS athletes took home the men’s singles gold and a women’s doubles gold, while we also celebrated our first marathon medal in 16 years. Of course, there are no medals for shoes. But we’ll never tire of seeing both proudly worn by our athletes. To all those who ran, jumped, threw and served – from the medal winners to those just happy to give it their all – we salute you. The ASICS House now opens its doors to another set of heroes, the Paralympians, starting this week. #ASICS

Our Q2 results are in, and they show 2024 shaping up to be another record year for ASICS. SportStyle and Onitsuka Tiger provide the standout figures with sales growth of +63.8% and +55.1% year-on-year. Our digital loyalty program OneASICS now has 15.6 million members with the inclusion of local programs from China and India. The impact of OneASICS on our business performance is clear, with e-commerce sales rising by 35.3% since last year. Speaking to investors last week, CFO Koji Hayashi also explained our recent increase in profitability in the North American market: “We have been taking initiatives such as controlling the volume of entry models, reviewing the mass retail business, and improving our share in run specialty stores to enhance our brand strength. As a result of these efforts, gross margin improved to 49.1%.” View the Q2 highlights below or read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gMwRcg2w

The Refugee Paralympic Team will be the first to march into the opening ceremony in Paris on August 28th. Just like we did in Rio and Tokyo, ASICS is proud to supply their uniforms. The 2024 uniforms feature a “Yagasuri” arrow motif representing determination and strength, and incorporate the International Paralympic Committee symbol colors of red, blue, and green. All eight refugee athletes overcame extreme adversity to compete in Paris. Last Sunday, they took time out from a training camp in Reims to pose for photos and look forward to the Games: ➢ Amelio Castro Grueso (Wheelchair fencing) “It’s an honor to receive this Official Sportswear. I am so excited to wear it in Paris on the biggest stage of all. Sport changed my life, and I can’t imagine my life without it. Being part of this Refugee Paralympic Team and competing in the Paralympics is a dream come true.” ➢ Ibrahim Al Hussein (Para triathlon) “We feel more like a family than a team. There are many similarities in our difficult paths, and we understand each other as if we know each other's lives. I am proud to be a member of the Refugee Paralympic Team and to represent so many refugees and people with disabilities.” ➢ Zakia Khudadadi (Para taekwondo) “It would be a dream to be the first to ever win a medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team. If that happens, it will show people that no matter how difficult the struggles they face, they should never give up and provide inspiration and hope to many around the world.” At ASICS, we believe in a world where everyone, regardless of circumstances, can engage in exercise and sports. Join us in giving these incredible athletes your support! #ASICS #Paris2024

Introducing our official delegation wear for the Brazilian Paralympic Team. Modeled here by Paralympians at an ASICS Brand Day in São Paulo, the entire collection has been developed in collaboration with the athletes, from the initial design phase to the testing, in an accessibility project led by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB). All items include accessibility details such as: backpacks with straps on the pullers; pants with zippers on the lower side, next to the ankle, convenient for athletes with prostheses; and all items with internal tags in Braille highlighting the colors of each item, to help blind or visually-impaired athletes select outfits. The ASICS logo will be proudly displayed on the uniforms, shoes and accessories of the entire Brazil delegation, as well as on specific competition outfits for athletics and sitting volleyball. This is our first such partnership with a national Paralympic team outside Japan, reflecting the huge importance of the Brazilian market to ASICS. Estaremos torcendo por você em Paris! #ASICS #TeamBrazil

For Novak Djokovic, it was a second visit to the ASICS House in Paris during the Games. This time, he brought along something special 🏅 On August 4th, Djokovic became only the third man to win all four Grand Slams and a gold medal in singles, underscoring his distinguished position in the history of tennis with the achievement of a career Golden Slam. “Winning the gold for my country for the first time, it’s definitely my greatest sporting achievement and the most beautiful experience I’ve ever had on the tennis court,” Djokovic said. “The success is not, of course, only mine. It’s from all the people that are involved in my career, including the ASICS family.” Djokovic went on to thank the technical team at ASICS for developing a special sole just for his playing style at these Olympics. “Small detail,” he said, “but not small in my eyes.” #ASICS #Paris2024 #GoldenSlam

FY24Q2 results released today by ASICS show consolidated net sales growth of +18.0% on the previous financial year 📈 This year it’s not all about Performance Running. Double-digit growth is also being driven by surging sales of Onitsuka Tiger and SportStyle Vintage Tech models such as GEL-NYC and GEL-KAYANO 14. Just don’t, as Bloomberg recently did, call them dad sneakers. Read the results here: https://lnkd.in/gMwRcg2w #ASICS

Ever wondered how athletes balance competition with work? Meet Yamato Shimbo of the HR team at ASICS 🥏 Yamato, who has congenital cerebral palsy, is the Japan record-holder in the men’s para discus throw and will be representing Japan at the Paralympic Games in Paris. Back home, his regular job is delivering training and development programs for ASICS employees. Yamato has a special reason for joining ASICS. While still a student, he found out about our Athlete Authorization system, which allows recognized athletes to schedule work around sporting competition. Yamato estimates that he divides his time equally between work and sport, with the balance shifting more toward sport in the run-up to the Paralympics. “My life has revolved around sport since middle school,” he says. “But I'm happy to find myself in an environment where I can balance competition with work. I can feel myself growing as a member of society.” Yamato also points out that work has made him a better athlete. “In college I would just practice all day quite aimlessly,” he admits. “But my records are actually improving now that I work at ASICS. I’m more able to think for myself and approach competition in my own way. Hopefully I can use my experience as an athlete in my work and create some synergy there too!” #TeamASICS #RoadtoParis

No longer just a running brand, but increasingly an all-rounder 🎾 No longer just a performance brand, but increasingly a lifestyle brand 👟 “ASICS is now on a growth trajectory and has reached a new stage as a company,” in the words of our CEO Yasuhito Hirota. “Performance Running had been carrying the other categories, but in 2023 the Core Performance Sports and SportStyle categories also enjoyed significant growth.” Get ready for a wide-ranging survey of everything #ASICS – where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how we’ll get there – in our latest Integrated Report: https://lnkd.in/gwhXi6fP Highlights in this report: p.10→ Message from our COO Mitsuyuki Tominaga p.26→ Digital Transformation (DX) dialogue between ASICS and SAP p.40→ How ASICS Academy promotes human development and diversity p.42→ Value creation dialogue between CFO Koji Hayashi and investor p.52→ Outside Director talk with investors and analysts

We are proud to announce the inauguration of ASICS Personalization Studio happening at our Paris campus. 🇫🇷 The manufacturing lab for on-demand, local production of ASICS footwear will be fully supported by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, making the company's vision of personalization closer than ever. A key highlight is the use of CATIA and 3D-printing to personalize soles, allowing for custom design and functionality tailored to athletes' needs. 👟