At its inception in 1949 in Japan, the brand was known as Onitsuka Tiger, and produced basketball shoes. In 1977, Kihachiro Onitsuka's company merged with others in the sector, forming a corporation called ASICS, which stands for "Anima Sana in Corpore Sano", a version of the Latin motto "Mens sans in corpore sano". In 1986, the brand was transformed by a new innovation that would render it legendary: the introduction of alpha gel, first in sports models and then in sneakers, that mark an irresistible combination of sports technology and style.
