Onitsuka Tiger

The history of Onitsuka Tiger (ASICS) began in March 1949 with the shoe wholesaler Onitsuka Shokai in Hyogo Prefecture.
Founder Kihachiro Onitsuka aimed to contribute to the betterment of Japanese youth shortly after the war and rebuild a better future for the country, embarking on an apprenticeship with shoe manufacturers to learn the art of shoemaking. In September of the same year, he established Onitsuka Co., Ltd. and began developing basketball shoes in collaboration with a high school in Hyogo Prefecture. These marked the first domestically manufactured basketball shoes in Japan. To promote his new style of basketball shoes, Onitsuka traveled the country to sell them at tournaments and events, actively seeking feedback from players and coaches to continually improve his product and build a reputation.