Asics America Corporation opened the doors to its first U.S. flagship store featuring two brands in the Asics family – Asics and Asics Tiger. The new store on the famed Fifth Avenue in New York City is designed to represent the brand’s storied heritage and its mantra and trademark, “Sound Mind, Sound Body,” as well as unveil a new platform to reach a wider variety of consumers.

Asics is an acronym for “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” meaning “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body” in Latin, encouraging the pursuit of mental and physical health and well-being. This mantra will be consistently channeled through the fully integrated sports environment brought to life in an innovative and elevated shopping experience where both the mind and body are inspired.

For the first time in a brand-owned location in the U.S., Asics will feature a modulating showcase of two distinct brands in its portfolio, each with its own unique offering:

• Asics – Shoes and apparel designed for athletes or sports enthusiasts with the purpose of improving performance by continuing to offer the best product; building upon technological advances and applying fundamental and applied research of the human body and its needs in athletic gear.
• Asics Tiger – Drawing inspiration from the authentic Japanese heritage of Asics, Asics Tiger is a lifestyle brand that takes a street-inspired approach to classic footwear and apparel silhouettes. Art, music, fashion and Japanese culture influence the Asics Tiger vision, often celebrated through exclusive collaborations with renowned designers and artists all over the world.

The Asics brand was created by Kihachiro Onitsuka in 1949, who began manufacturing basketball shoes in Kobe, Japan. Having been demobilized from war in 1945, Onitsuka resolved to form his own company and produced sports footwear for youth, which were in short supply at the time. The first competition sports shoes produced by the brand were a pair of basketball shoes, paving the way for Asics to later become an international health, wellness and sports company continuously striving to produce the best-designed footwear in the world.

“Asics is proud of its unique approach to the retail experience and our product development that focuses on maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a whole. By combining two of our uniquely different brands, we are offering consumers a wide range of quality performance and lifestyle shoes and apparel for an array of needs – directly addressing the shift in the way people are working out and moving today,” says Gene McCarthy, President and CEO, Asics America Corporation. “We are truly excited to see how consumers respond when we bring the essence of our brand and our heritage to the streets of New York City for our biggest presentation of the brand yet.”

Located on Fifth Avenue, the shopping mecca of New York City, the new space balances the highly technical aspects of the brand’s products – a sound body – with natural, warm finishes, features and materials – a sound mind – resulting in an environment that immerses customers in a world where both the mind and body are stimulated. This new global retail concept, combining performance and lifestyle product, represents the pinnacle of the new global concept designed by Brinkworth and is reflected across point of sale areas globally.

“Every design and material detail has been elevated and considered against Asics’ heritage and local context, bringing a distinct New Yorkattitude to the space,” says Sam Derrick, Director at Brinkworth.

Asics’ new global campaign I MOVE ME will be brought to life via a sensory experience exhibited by sight, sound and motion. In-store elements include an infinity mirror, LED light columns and I MOVE ME visuals, which will be strategically placed throughout the space and prominently displayed in the large floor to ceiling windows for maximum exposure both on the interior and exterior.

In celebration of the flagship opening, inspirational group movement classes led by NYC’s top fitness experts will take place throughout the day from Friday, December 15th – Sunday, December 17th.
Instructors include:
• Sarah Levy – Y7
• Erika Hammond – Rumble
• Amanda Kloots – The Rope, The Dance
• Evan Betts – Tone House
• Sadie Kurzban – 305 Fitness
• Alicia Napoleon – Overthrow Studio
• Trammell Logan – Soul Cycle, East Side Dance

Customers will have the opportunity to de-stress from the holiday shopping frenzy with Asics while being treated to exclusive in-store savings and merchandise to commemorate the grand opening.

Photo courtesy Asics