In my last post, I examined the origin of Onitsuka Tiger athletic shoes, and how the company's founder was driven to uplift the morale of Japan's youth after the devastation of World War II. (In 1978, Onitsuka Tiger merged with two other firms and is known the world over as ASICS. The company has maintained the Onitsuka tradition of excellence, and is most famous for its top-of-the-line running shoes.)
By the Sixties, Onitsuka Tiger shoes had become the athletic footwear of choice among many world-class athletes. (The first running shoe explosion would follow shortly that decade.) In 1972, one of these athletes achieved a pinnacle in his already-dominant career. The renown of Onitsuka Tiger grew even more as a result.
Wrestler Dan Gable was already famous for having only lost one match in his entire Iowa State University collegiate career. At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, Gable won the Gold Medal without surrendering a single point to his opponent. This, in spite of a bleeding ear injury that could have caused him to be disqualified... except the resourceful Gable wrapped a bandage around his head, which allowed him to continue the match. Gable went on to further dominance as a wrestler and equally impressive success as a wrestling coach, etching his name in history as a true legend in the realm of sports.
ASICS, now widely recognized as a global leader in running shoes, has reissued the wrestling shoes Gable wore in that historical match as "The Gable". Many top-level wrestlers still choose them for competition, as evidenced in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Gable wrestling shoes also hold tremendous appeal for hipsters looking for authentically cool sneakers. ASICS' reputation for excellence continues with its consistently high-performing, best-selling running shoes, such as the 2100 series (the current offering being the 2140), the supremely cushioned GEL-Nimbus, and the renowned GEL-Kayano.
In part 3 of this story, we'll examine another legendary figure who boosted the status of Onitsuka Tiger.
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