The Need for Speed

Since its inception in 1949, ASICS (originally called Onitsuka Tiger and renamed after a merger in 1978) has been well-known for offering pinnacle sport-specific footwear. Currently, the focus of the company is squarely on running shoes. ASICS offers oustanding running shoes for the masses of runners around the world, such as the best-selling 2100 series (the most recent version being the GEL-2140), the GEL-Nimbus and legendary GEL-Kayano. However, they also offer many selections for virtually any sub-category of runner imaginable.

Perhaps the most enthusiastic and hard-core sub-genre of runner would be the racer. Such athletes train year-round, demand much of their bodies, and tend to demand much of their running gear as well. With so much time, sweat and pride invested, a serious racer is not likely to choose their speed shoes without close examination. ASICS offers several excellent running shoes for the dedicated racer.

The GEL-Speedstar and GEL-DS Trainer are lightweight training shoes that are also well suited for 5K races. Other shoe manufacturers are not prepared to cede this market to ASICS. Brooks' new racing shoe, the Ghost, features their proprietary MoGo technology. Saucony's racing shoe is the Grid Sinister, featuring a flexion plate designed to naturally propel runners onto their forefoot. A long-trusted brand in the realm of cycling, yet an upstart in the running shoe market, Pearl Izumi offers the uniquely streamlined Streak racing shoe.

ASICS' GEL-Hyperspeed is wider than most racing shoes, resulting in greater stability. It is the favorite of world-class Middle/Long Distance & Marathon racer Ryan Hall.

For the specific needs of Cross-Country runners, ASICS offers the Hyper XCS Running Flat for men and the Hyper Rocketgirl XCS, engineered specifically for a woman's foot. A similar racing shoe from competitor Saucony is the Kilkenny XC2.

So, with the ever-changing technology of running shoes, what becomes of these styles once they are no longer on the cutting edge? Some of them enjoy a second life as throwback shoes. As a matter of routine, ASICS successfully reissues many of its past athletic shoes under its original brand name, Onitsuka Tiger.

The Birth of Onitsuka Cool - Part 4

ASICS is well-known as the premier manufacturer of running shoes in the world. This is the result of a long tradition of engineering athletic shoes for sport-specific purposes. ASICS makes running shoes for every kind of runner. The famous GEL-Kayano, the best-selling 2100 series, and the 1100 series are in the structured cushioning category, for runners who pronate slightly yet demand excellent cushioning. The GEL-Nimbus is recognized as the industry's top cushioning shoe. The GEL-Evolution and GEL-Foundation are motion control shoes that are excellent choices for overpronators. It is this very dedication to meeting the most specific needs of athletes that is the foundation of ASICS. (The company began in 1949 as Onitsuka Tiger, and was re-named ASICS when Onitsuka merged with two other firms in 1978.) Many of the Onitsuka Tiger offerings from years past have been reissued for the casual sneaker market with tremendous success. This success is a direct result of this, as high-profile world-class athletes wore Onitsuka Tiger shoes in competition. It was only a matter of time before Onitsuka Tiger made its mark in the world of streetwear and popular culture.

In Quentin Tarantino's 2003 epic "Kill Bill Vol. 1", the story's heroine (played by Uma Thurman) was outfitted in a costume similar to Bruce Lee's "Game of Death" outfit as an homage during a key set piece... complete with the Onitsuka Tiger shoes. (In the film's sequel, Thurman can be seen wearing a white variation of the same shoe with blue and red stripes.) Since then, the visibility and enduring cache of cool has compounded for Onitsuka Tiger. The original mission of Kihachiro Onitsuka remains with the output of ASICS' sport-specific footwear, notably revered for their world-class running shoes.

The Birth of Onitsuka Cool - Part 3

ASICS is well-established as the leader in high-performance running shoes. Their development of technology to accommodate all sorts of runners has brought them massive success. The best-selling 2100 series addresses the most common type of runner, who needs structured cushioning, as they may pronate just a bit. It is also the most imitated running shoe, with many competitors gunning for a slice of the running shoe market. The GEL-Nimbus and GEL-Cumulus are top choices for non-pronating runners who desire maximum cushioning.

ASICS' dominance in the running shoe market did not come by accident, or overnight. The company started in 1949 as Onitsuka Tiger, founded to boost morale of Japanese youth through athletic excellence. (The company was re-christened ASICS when Onitsuka Tiger merged with two other firms in 1978.) From its inception, Onitsuka Tiger was dedicated to offering athletes products that were engineered to offering sport-specific maximum performance. As the world's top athletes gravitated toward Onitsuka Tiger athletic shoes, their appeal extended to the street.

In the Seventies, an iconic athlete/movie star who would become a legend cemented Onitsuka cool for eternity. Martial arts superstar Bruce Lee famously wore a sleek yellow jumpsuit with black racing stripes in his final film, "Game of Death", before his untimely demise. He also wore a matching pair of Onitsuka Tiger shoes. The impact of this striking ensemble was magnified with the tragic, mysterious death of Lee. Now, the mystique of those final images of Lee are linked to those yellow and black Onitsuka Tiger shoes. To this day, Lee is idolized by millions, and an entire cottage industry has been built around his image and likeness. Onitsuka Tiger shoes are part of this legacy, and their enduring cool is recognized by athletic, martial arts, urban and hip-hop subcultures all over the world. Onitsuka Tiger shoes are also highly coveted by sneaker aficianados.

The Birth of Onitsuka Cool - Part 2

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.

The Birth of Onitsuka Cool

Onitsuka Tiger is clearly one of the hippest sportstyle shoe brands in the world. What's fascinating is that the company did not set out to achieve that status.

Originally, Onitsuka Tiger was one of the pioneers of engineering shoes specifically for optimal athletic performance. Japanese entrepreneur Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the company in 1949 with an altruistic mission in mind. After the atomic destruction of two major Japanese cities in World War II, that nation's youth was severely traumatised. Onitsuka was compelled to use sport as a vehicle to infuse Japan's surviving youth with a sense of vitality and inherent pride. Onitsuka chose the tiger as a emblem, as it was widely recongized as a powerful symbol in Asia.

Onitsuka began crafting and refining shoes for specific sports, such as track, running, martial arts and fencing. With such close attention to the very particular needs of individual sports, it didn't take long for Onitsuka Tiger shoes to catch on with world-class athletes. They became the shoe of choice for many compeititors in Olympic Games by the Sixties. 46 medal winners wore Onitsuka shoes in the 1964 Olympic Games. As highly-visible dominant athletes were noticed to be wearing Onitsuka Tiger shoes, their demand grew among sports enthusiasts and aspiring competitiors. By then, the momentum carried Onitsuka Tiger to the streets.

Yet that was just the beginning. The next post will focus on how one legendary athlete further raised the profile of the Onitsuka Tiger brand.

Sneakers for an athletic-chic look

Since wearing your running shoes when not training or racing in a marathon will prematurely wear them out (and consequently increase injuries), it is smart to acquire some sneakers specifically for everyday wear. This also makes sense from a fashion standpoint. Even if you spend top dollar on a high-performance pair of ASICS running shoes, you risk looking like a pathetic geek if you wear them anywhere other than a gym or running trail. Most contemporary running shoes look so technical that they simply don't coordinate well with much casual wear. Better to cultivate an athletic-chic look with throwback shoes, which are simpler and infinitely more elegant. A top brand for street shoes is Onitsuka Tiger. The company started out in 1949 to serve the then-new athletic footwear market. Many of their current offerings are reissues of sneakers that once were state-of-the-art; though their technical utility has been greatly surpassed, they do offer a very stylish retro-athletic look that is very hip. What's more, the variety of models and colors out there is so vast that you could conceivably complement just about any outfit. Whether you are a serious athlete, an urban DJ or an intellectual hipster, throwback shoes are an advisable component to your wardrobe. Sometimes you may even be lucky enough to find some at closeout prices, making it easier to find the right sneakers for any occasion.

Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 Throwback Running Shoes

These days, a lot of folks are dropping serious coin on their running shoes... top-of-the-line models such as the ASICS GEL-Kinsei 2 retail for $180, and are only available at runnning specialty shops. Even those who go for a moderately-priced running shoe, like the best-selling ASICS 2140 (available at online running shoe stores) are looking at a $90-$100 price tag.

With that much dough tied up in your running shoe investment, it might seem silly to wear them when not running, as the average running shoe's cushioning and performance materials break down after 350-550 miles. With this in mind, it would actually be cost-effective to buy a pair of casual sneakers for the streets and everyday wear. One increasingly popular option is to wear stylish throwback shoes - reissues of running shoes that were once state-of-the-art, yet now serve as a stylish everyday sneaker or fashion statement. One of the hippest of these is the Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81. As the name suggests, its genesis was as a techincal running shoe, introduced in 1981. As with all things Eighties, it has seen a monstrous revival, with an array of new fashion colors introduced every Spring and Fall, ranging from subdued to outrageous. Some are released as limited editions, and can induce a frenzy among collectors and enthusiasts, resulting in skyrocketing prices in aftermarkets and online auctions.