"Anima Sana in Corpore Sano" - "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body": Asics was founded on this guiding principal. Established in 1949 as Panmure Company (and briefly but famously renamed Tiger) by Kihachiro Onitsuka in Kobe, Japan, Asics quickly gained global attention for their high quality and innovation in sports footwear. By the 1966 Olympics, Aisics footwear could be found on Olympians of many different disciplines. However, it was the runaway success of their Mexico '66 running shoe and the running craze of the 1970's that propelled them to become the preeminent running shoe company for runners of all skill levels. From Olympic marathoners to first time 5k'ers, Asics is there.