ASICS Trading: Subtle Yet Striking Footwear

Japanese clothing culture has a long, storied history. It updates and changes with the times, leaving behind timeless designs. Japan is also known for its craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and quality. What do you think are the strengths of the Japanese apparel industry?

Being an island nation, Japan has developed a unique culture. As a result, timeless garments such as the kimono can be seen. In recent decades, the fusion of Japanese and European cultures has created a unique Japanese fashion. The strengths of Japanese textiles are high quality and high reliability. Interestingly, these strengths can be applied to almost every industry in Japan, and this attention to detail and commitment to high quality is our greatest weapon.

Japanese consumers are demanding in terms of quality, and Japanese companies must respond to their consumers' needs. Because of this two-way exchange, Japanese products have always been of the highest quality. We have our product standards, and we strive to exceed them and meet our consumers' high expectations. Exceeding these standards requires constant research and development.

Today, Japan is the oldest society in the world and is facing a national demographic crisis, with a declining population due to a declining birthrate. This has led to a labor crisis and a decline in the domestic market. On the other hand, however, it creates opportunities to offer specific products to an older demographic with more purchasing power. What challenges and opportunities do you see resulting from this demographic shift, particularly in ASICS Trading, and how are you responding to these demographic changes? To what extent do you need to look abroad to ensure business continuity?

Although ASICS Trading's business objectives focus on the domestic market, we do not view Japan's aging population negatively. Our broad product lineup suits the changing demographics and lifestyles of the country's aging population.

In addition, with our current products, we are considering the possibilities in overseas markets, especially which products are best suited where. Preparations are underway to expand overseas.

As you know, Japan is attracting many foreign tourists buying our products. This is excellent news for us, given that it will increase our visibility and raise awareness of our brand beyond the country of Japan. We would like to use this opportunity to expand our business further overseas. However, to do so, we must establish a base in Japan to some extent.

Tell us more about your original brands. What are their main strengths and features?

Our products are high-quality and functional. Furthermore, our pricing is very well balanced. However, foreigners are not aware of those features. If they start to recognize them, we believe we have a chance to grow our business. The major problem now is the rising cost of goods due to the weak yen. On the other hand, the weak yen has led to increased purchases by foreign tourists.

The industry has seen many new technologies emerging around textiles and materials. We have seen plant-based fibers, seamless textiles, and many other products. From your perspective, what textile technologies can be integrated into your products, and which do you plan to incorporate in the future?

Of course, the key now is environmental friendliness and sustainability, and these are the basics within our company. So we want to introduce sustainable materials, but we think it is very important to add functionality to them. It is very difficult to balance function, quality, and reliability.

Take leather shoes, for example. These products used to be quite expensive. This is no longer the case, especially as companies like ours want to introduce alternative materials. Sustainability is all about changing concepts.

Which of the various brands under your umbrella will be critical to your business in the future?

In addition to our domestic business, we are looking to expand into overseas markets. Opportunities vary from region to region, but in general, casual clothing and healthy lifestyles are preferred these days. With this in mind, our brand, Wellness Walker, offers good opportunities within our brand. More and more people are turning to walking as a solution to leading a healthy lifestyle. When you start this activity, you do not know if you need to wear specific walking shoes or use running shoes or sneakers. We need to educate people that they need to wear particular walking shoes if they walk long distances. We also want to communicate the significance of walking in a broad range of ways, as walking is not limited to the physical aspect but also has mental benefits such as recovery and relaxation. This includes specific marketing.

The average price of RUNWALK business shoes is around 30,000 yen, while the average cost of the Texcy Luxe brand is around 10,000 yen. We must adjust these prices according to the market and how often people change shoes. I believe we can be competitive because of the wide variety of products we offer.

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Wellness Walker shoes

One of the most important factors people consider when buying shoes is the insole. The insole can contribute to a better walking experience. Can you tell us more about your insole technology and development process to create the most comfortable shoes for your customers?

We believe that the insole is only one element of the shoe. Within the comprehensive functionality are equally important elements such as cushioning and breathability. These functions will vary depending on the customer. Depending on the focus, we adjust various aspects, such as the thickness of the insole and the material inside the shoe.

Can you tell us how your business shoe designs are adapting to new work styles and how your various business shoes have evolved to become very versatile shoes?

Our origin is very different from other companies' products and business shoes. Our company-wide philosophy is to develop business shoes by applying sports shoe technology rather than making business shoes comfortable. ASICS Trading has developed comfortable business shoes because of its strength in the technology to manufacture sports shoes. ASICS Group has a research center called "The ASICS Institute of Sport Science." Maintaining “human-centric science”, the Institute focuses on the analyzes of natural movements and actions.  We have extensive knowledge of sport science, which is the most essential point.

Everyone's height, foot size, shape, and other characteristics differ. When developing footwear, how do you address the biomechanical needs of different types of feet worldwide?

We collect a vast amount of data and then calculate averages from that data to produce our products. Of course, we have several different lines of business focused on various areas. Our data includes over 2 million feet of data collected from stores and other sources.

One of the shoes' intricacies is the grip. Can you please tell us more about the grip of your shoes and the technology you employ?

Basketball shoes are different from walking shoes because the outsoles are made of different materials and have different material placements to match the activity requirements. Calculate the grip required for each activity.

One of the biggest challenges for shoe manufacturers today is making shoes lighter. However, making shoes lighter often compromises their stability and support. How can your company address these challenges while meeting your customers' needs?

As you say, making shoes lightweight requires an optimal balance between weight and durability. We adjust the balance of various functions depending on the wearing situation and purpose and prioritize functions differently for different shoes. Some people continue to use business shoes for 5 or 10 years, so we emphasize durability.

One feature that users really appreciate is shock absorption. Whether jumping, running, or walking, shock absorption helps reduce damage to the knee. What kind of technology do you incorporate into the shock-absorption systems in your shoes, and how does it differ from your competitors'?

Shock is absorbed by the insole and outsole, and in the case of ASICS Trading, the technology is based on a material called It is used not only in sports shoes but also in walking shoes.

Shoes incorporating GEL™ technology

In our interviews, we often hear about the importance of partnerships and collaboration in creating exciting new products and opening new markets. What role do partnerships play in your business model, and are you looking for new partnerships, especially in foreign markets?

I believe there are two types of partnerships. The first is distribution. We already have and sell abroad, so we can sell through them. We are also looking at e-commerce as a cross-border sales channel. With this approach, we are not too worried about partnerships regarding distribution since we can reach anywhere in the world.

The second partnership enhances our brand. Many companies are working together for this purpose, but the choice of partner is crucial to increasing brand awareness. An essential part of the partnership is creating a win-win scenario for both companies.

You mentioned e-commerce, when are you planning to launch it?

I can't say too much right now, but I am hopeful for the near future. We are researching the different laws and analyzing which locations have the most product potential. Once we have gathered enough research data, we will begin preparing for the launch of e-commerce.

Do you want to continue to pursue overseas expansion, and if so, which markets are you targeting?

Our initial focus is on Southeast Asian countries and China. In parallel, we will continue to sell through China and Taiwan; e-commerce will be significant because of many brands and products.

What are your favorite shoes to wear?

My favorites are RUNWALK and Texcy Luxe. I use them for different occasions.

What message would you like to convey to the world about your company?

Our future goal is to become the number-one shoe brand in the domestic market. We would like to promote ASICS Trading's walking shoes not only in Japan but also around the world.

For more information, visit their website at: https://www.asics-trading.co.jp/company/company_information.html/