To combine comfort with a design that resonates with the senses.
-What kind of style is ASICS aiming for in the midst of major changes in sportswear design trends?
Fukuda: ASICS will continue to develop its products in response to changing fashion trends without forgetting to provide the functional value, emotional value, and future value I mentioned earlier in the area of sports style.
-I feel that ASICS has changed a lot in recent years, not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of design. What was the reason for ASICS to change so much?
Fukuda: I think one of the reasons for the change in our design is the presence of sports styles that started in 2019. The image of "ASICS = high-function sports shoes for competition" had a limited presence in our lifestyle.
When we tried to respond to the background of the emerging trend of athleisure, where sports can be felt in everyday life, we redefined the mission, values, and vision of the brand and began to develop it.
We incorporated the technology of the ASICS Sports Engineering Laboratory into lifestyle products, achieving both comfort and a design that resonates with the senses. I believe that this series of efforts led to a change in the brand's design and image.
It is very interesting that a product like "GEL-KAYANO14," which was popular as a -running shoe, was evaluated as the most current with colors and material mixes that match the modern age.
Fukuda: The latest GEL-KAYANO is highly acclaimed as a running shoe, and archived GEL-KAYANO models have become popular as fashion icons. I believe that the values that ASICS wants to convey are embodied here as well. The functional and emotional values are being conveyed, and we will continue to work to connect heritage and technology to the future in the form of sports style.
-Finally, do you have a message for fans of ASICS and readers of Huinum?
Fukuda: A new brand campaign will start this fall. This campaign will help you understand what kind of brand ASICS is, so please pay attention to it.
