Colorful ASICS GEL-Mai Celebrates Founder's 100th Birthday
Commemorating Kihachiro Onitsuka’s sunny disposition and love of Vincent Van Gogh.
Born May 29, 1918, Kihachiro Onitsuka founded ASICS in 1949, maintaining an active role in the company until his passing on September 29, 2007. To commemorate what would have been its founder’s 100th birthday, the brand is debuting a selection of sunflower-hued gear. The yellow hues reflect both Onitsuka’s upbeat temperment and the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh, which Onitsuka was extremely fond of. “Much like sunflowers, he always headed toward the light and this was reflected in his personality and management style,” noted Motoi Oyama, chief executive officer of ASICS. The commemorative range includes a brightly-hued ASICS GEL-Mai, GEL-Quantum 360, Onitsuka Tiger Corsair and a branded T-shirt and pant set made from recycled fabrics.
The goods launch on May 29, a century since Onitsuka’s birth, with $10 USD from the sale of each product going to the Right to Play organization, which will grant a child in Lebanon 10 weeks sponsorship to play sports.
Most recently, ASICS partnered with Beijing’s FOSS for a striking, bi-color GEL-Mai.
