ASICS Celebrates Founder's 100th Anniversary With Limited Edition Anniversary Pack

The new collection includes products from each brand under the ASICS umbrella - ASICS, ASICSTIGER and Onitsuka Tiger, and have been specially curated to reflect Mr. Onitsuka's bright personality and pioneering spirit. Along with ASICS' trademark comfort and design, the sunflower pattern features striking reds, oranges and yellows which are inspired by Mr. Onitsuka's love of artist Vincent van Gogh. The bold colors represent his desire to encourage people to take control of their bright futures in the same way a sunflower reaches for the sun.

Mr. Onitsuka founded the company in 1949 and established ASICS with a clear philosophy: leverage movement as a means to build health and happiness in both mind and body. From product innovations based on human-centric science to charitable partnerships, this philosophy continues to ring true in every aspect of the brand today.

To ensure Onitsuka's legacy of inspiring future generation continues, ASICS will partner with Right to Play – an organization that uses sport and exercise to improve the lives of children in deprived communities around the world.  $10 from every KO100™ shoe or clothing purchase will go towards sponsoring one child in Lebanon to play sports for 10 weeks.¹

Motoi Oyama, CEO of ASICS Corporation says: "Kihachiro Onitsuka built ASICS because he wanted to help people develop a healthy and active lifestyle and, ultimately, be happier. Much like sunflowers, he always headed towards the light and this was reflected in his personality and management style.

"These limited-edition products and the partnership with Right to Play are our way of celebrating his vision and passion on what would have been his 100^th birthday. We also want to remind people that as modern life gets busier and busier, Kihachiro Onitsuka's desire to create sound minds and bodies has never been more important – both for individuals and society as a whole. Watch this space for more centennial celebrations as the year goes on!"

ASICS GEL-QUANTUM™ 360 KO100

Constructed with 360 degrees of ASICS GEL® technology cushioning, the GEL-QUANTUM 360 KO100 available for both male and females balances high performance and comfort.

The heel design is inspired by 'himawari', or 'sunflower' in Japanese. The rubber sole and knit upper are shades of yellow and orange – designed to mimic the range of tones in a sunflower. Available for $170 USD.

ASICSTIGER GEL-MAI™ KO100

The unisex ASICSTIGER GEL-MAI KO100 offers a unique asymmetrical eyelet stay which tightens around both the forefoot and ankle of the shoe. The volume of the midsole emphasizes the fuzeGEL technology and superior cushioning, a key feature of the GEL-MAI.

The multi-colored upper includes subtle sunflower inspired patterns splashed along the mesh and suede overlays. Available for $140 USD.

ONITSUKA TIGER CORSAIR™ KO100

The unisex TIGER CORSAIR KO100 features increased cushioning, arch cookies, full-length midsole, thicker heel and E.V.A. midsole material for added comfort.

A new upper design features a splayed sunflower print while maintaining the same silhouette of the original TIGER CORSAIR sneaker. Available $120 USD.

To represent the year Onitsuka was born, 1918 limited edition pairs of each shoe will be available globally.

KO100 APPAREL

The limited edition KO100 apparel is a unisex set consisting of the SS Tee and Jersey Pant. Both are made from 100% recycled materials to reflect ASICS' commitment to sustainability and Kihachiro Onitsuka's founding vision.

The apparel features the trio of ASICS logos – ASICS, ASICSTIGER and Onitsuka Tiger and an embroidered gold sunflower on the SS Tee. SS Tee is available for $150 USD and Jersey Pant is available for $100 USD.

To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kihachiro Onitsuka, ASICS also partnered with GIPHY, the world's first and largest GIF platform. In collaboration with GIPHY, ASICS will create a series of ASICS Stand with The Sun GIPHY stickers for people to use on their social channels, including Instagram and Facebook. To access the stickers, search #StandWithTheSun to share personal stories of inspiration.

All products will be available in-store and on asics.com on May 29, 2018.

About Right To Play

Right To Play is a global organization committed to improving the lives of children and youth affected by conflict, disease and poverty in 16 countries worldwide. The organization has pioneered a unique play-based approach to learning and development. Right To Play uses play in all of its forms – games, creative play, sport, free play – to engage children in programs that focus on making a positive impact in quality education, health and well-being, gender equality, child protection and building peaceful communities. Led by 70.000 trained local teachers and volunteer coaches, Right To Play's cost-effective, sustainable, and life-changing programs reach more than one million children worldwide each week.

¹ ASICS has partnered with the global organization Right To Play. The donation will support sport and play activities for Syrian refugee children and local communities in Lebanon including training of volunteer coaches who run the weekly Right To Play programs.  $10 is equivalent to supporting one child to participate for 10 weeks.  The length of the actual program will be developed to make the best impact.

Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body," is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes, as well as, other athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.asics.com.

The stripe design featured on the sides of the ASICS shoes is a registered trademark of ASICS Corporation.
©2018 ASICS America Corporation. All rights reserved.

SOURCE ASICS

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