Asics was established in 1949 in Kobe (Japan) as Panmure Co. Ltd. by the entrepreneur Kihachiro Onitsuka, with the athletic equipment company now producing footwear for activities ranging from football to tennis, martial arts and cheerleading.

The philosophy behind its merchandise has been influenced by the Latin phrase which, as an acronym, gives the company its name: ‘anima sana in corpore sano’, loosely translated meaning ‘healthy soul in a healthy body’.

In the 2006 fiscal year, Asics recorded an impressive ¥ 171 billion in net sales, with its principal market being Japan. In fact, Asics certainly does not enjoy the same coverage as other firms in both Europe and North America, despite a significant effort in this regard in recent years.

More specifically, as regards football boots, the brand is highly advocated in Italy today, especially following its past sponsorship of Inter’s goalkeeper Júlio César and Lecce striker’s Jeda adoption of Asics Lethal DS football boots.

Furthermore, the Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale has been wearing Asics football boots for years, giving the Japanese brand real cult presence in Europe, especially after debuting at the Lethal Tigreor 3 at the World Cup.