Mizuno Corporation and Mizuno USA, Inc. announced the opening of a cutting edge Global Design Center for the company’s performance running division. The Mizuno SOZO Design Center is located in Portland, Oregon, and will be utilized by Mizuno USA and the Mizuno Global Product Design Team. The term “SOZO” in Japanese means “imagination that transcends into creation,” and the philosophy behind the SOZO Design and Development Studio in Japan is to create cutting edge technologies through imagination, computer animation, and the latest thinking in bio-mechanics and design philosophies. The SOZO Design Center in the U.S. will be driven with the same philosophy towards design using U.S. tastes and influences. The Center will be utilized as a “design incubator” and be the epicenter of design innovation in performance running. The opening of Mizuno’s SOZO Design Center is yet another step in the strategic initiative by Mizuno Corporation to enhance Mizuno USA’s role in running shoe design on a global scale.

Mizuno Corporation, viewing the United States as a strategic lever for global growth, has made a long-term strategic commitment to the U.S. market. The main goal of the global initiative is to build global brand market share in performance running, and because both global consumer and product performance trends in running are often driven by the U.S. market, Mizuno Corporation has invested significantly in this Portland, Oregon based Design Center. The new SOZO Design Center is a pivotal step in the heightened role for Mizuno USA in the design of Mizuno’s global performance running line.

“Senior management in Japan has made an impressive commitment to Mizuno USA with the purpose of increasing the role that U.S. influences play in the design of Mizuno’s performance running shoes and apparel.” said Bob Puccini, president Mizuno USA, Inc., and chairman, Mizuno Canada, Ltd. “As a recognized industry leader in product performance and innovation, we have always invested a disproportionately large amount of our resources back into research and development. As a result, we have steadily been increasing our market share in performance running since introducing Wave technology in 1998. The opening of this U.S. design center is the next logical step toward our continued success and development as one of the premier running brands in the world.”

Since the introduction of Mizuno’s revolutionary Wave Technology used in their high performance running shoes, the company has received numerous industry awards including six “Editors’ Choice” awards, eight “Best Update” awards, two “Best Buy” awards, and one “Best Debut” award from prestigious Runner’s World magazine. The company has experienced double digit growth for six straight years and is one of the fastest growing running brands in the world.

“At Mizuno we are constantly improving upon design and technology that enhances the running experience,” said Tom Elwell, Vice President and General Manager, Mizuno USA Athletic Division. “This new design center, in addition to our design expertise and state-of-the-art Wave technology, will further increase our capabilities to continue producing the world’s finest running shoes and to enhance both performance and the overall running experience for runners of all abilities.”