One of the leading athletic footwear manufacturers of the past seventy years, ASICS was founded as Onitsuka, Co., Ltd. in 1949 by former soldier Kihachiro Onitsuka, who started out by producing basketball sneakers in his living room. In 1966, in advance of the 1968 Olympics, the company debuted its now signature ASICS Stripe on its Mexico sneaker (a favorite of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee). In 1977, the company merged with two other Japanese sporting goods manufacturers, changed its name to its current form—an acronym of a quote from the Roman satirist Juvenal, “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” (“A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”)—as a symbol of its ethos, and debuted the ASICS Tiger line. In May 1990, ASICS opened the Research Institute of Sports Science in Kobe, which reflects the company’s dedication to producing the most functional, technologically advanced products possible for athletes of all backgrounds. And, with its Onitsuka Tiger and ASICS Tiger brands, which respectively produce heritage-inspired and contemporary lifestyle footwear and clothing, ASICS continues to push culture as far as its athletes.