Irvine, CA (November 4, 2009) - ASICS® America Corporation is proud to announce that the GEL-Kayano® 15 received the International "Shoe of the Year" award from Runner’s World magazine during a special ceremony at the magazine’s 2009 International Shoe Summit. This is the second consecutive year that the GEL-Kayano series has been awarded the top honor, and the fourth time in five years that ASICS has won the International Editor’s Choice award since the award’s inception.

Along with this distinguished honor, ASICS also received two additional awards from Runner’s World, which will be featured in the Winter Shoe Guide (December 2009 issue) on newsstands in the U.S. this week.  The ASICS GT-2150™ accepted the acclaimed "Editor’s Choice" award and the GEL-1150™ took the "Best Buy" award.  These two styles were compared against 15 distinguished pairs of shoes from other leading brands that were tested and reviewed by Runner’s World.

"It is always an honor to be recognized internationally by Runner’s World the leading authority when it comes to critiquing our product, and we are humbled that they have selected ASICS again," exclaims Jim Monahan, ASICS VP of Footwear.

Runner’s World magazine, the worldwide authority on running information, awards one distinguished shoe style each year the prestigious International Editor’s Choice or "Shoe of the Year" award.  The publication noted that the GEL-Kayano® 15 won top honors from global wear testers.  The shoe was selected by a panel of International Runner’s World editors from the 15 countries in which the magazine is published (Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands/Belgium, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States).

ASICS GEL-Kayano® 15 will be updated in January 2010 with the GEL-Kayano® 16 retailing for $140.00.  The GT-2150™ is available now at specialty running retailers for $95.00 and the GEL-1150 is also at specialty running shops for $85.00.  Both the GT-2150™ and GEL-1150™ will be widely available on January 1, 2009.
 

Irvine, CA (November 4, 2009) - ASICS® America Corporation is proud to announce the men’s and women’s version of the GEL-Resolution™ 2 received the highest overall rating of the nine models reviewed in the November/December 2009 issue of Tennis Magazine.

GEL-Resolution™ 2

Men's	Women's

The GEL-Resolution 2 received an 8.4 score out of a possible 10, and earned near-perfect marks for both stability and arch support. The shoes were also scored on cushioning, weight, ventilation, break-in time and overall satisfaction.

The magazine described the style as: "the ultimate shoe for an advanced player with sore feet and those who appreciate comfort right out of the box since the shoe has virtually no break-in time."

The article also points out the shoe has "outstanding support" with features including the Biomorphic Fit® Upper and Personal Heel Fit (PHF®) that helps mold to the athlete’s foot creating a personalized fit with snug heel support. The GEL-Resolution 2 has a Solyte® Midsole to enhance cushioning, a GEL® Cushioning System to attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phase and a PGuard™ Toe Protector for durability.

"We are thrilled with the #1 ranking," says Matt Donnelly, ASICS Product Manager for Team Sports.  "Fit and function are always our first priorities at ASICS and it’s great to be recognized for this."

The ASICS GEL-Resolution 2, which retails for $115, is available in two color ways (white/rain/sun and blue aster/black/lightning) for men and one color (white/cargo/abyss) for women.

Tennis Magazine is geared toward the serious and recreational tennis player, with information on instruction and training, new product and equipment coverage, professional player profiles and highlights of tournaments.

Grand Opening Weekend Features ASICS Athletes, Free Product, “Fun Run” and Grand Prize Trip Give-Away

IRVINE, Calif. (October 22, 2009) – ASICS® America, a leading athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer, will open its first U.S.-based retail store on Friday, October 23, 2009 in New York City. The 1,100-square-foot store will be located at 51 West 42nd Street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, near Bryant Park. Opening weekend festivities will feature ASICS’ professional athlete guest appearances, in-store promotions, a “fun run” through the city starting at Bryant Park, and a grand prize trip give-away.

“Despite a down economy, ASICS America is still seeing significant growth in sales,” says Rich Bourne, President and CFO, ASICS America.  “New York is an active city in the running community which ASICS has long been a part of through our support of the ING New York City Marathon. We feel this is the perfect time and place to mark our debut as a retailer in the U.S.”

As the first stand-alone ASICS retail outlet in the United States, the store will stock running specific merchandise including footwear and apparel, and will have a sleek design aesthetic with traditional ASICS white and royal blue coloring similar to it’s predecessors in London and Tokyo. A main draw for the store will be the proprietary Foot ID system, which includes a 3D scan of the foot along with gait analysis to help consumers determine the best shoe for their foot and running style.

Foot ID’s 3D scan utilizes a cross-section of lasers and cameras to measure all aspects of the foot including the arch, boney architecture of the upper, length, width, heel and ball girth. The consumer simply stands on two pads located on the scanner and information is entered into a database. The consumer then runs on a special treadmill to collect additional information about their running gait. A specifically trained ASICS staff member will interpret all of this information and provide a recommendation on which shoes will work best for that individual. The gathered information will also be shared with the ASICS Research and Development center in Japan for future research.

“The state-of-the-art Foot ID system allows the customers to experience first-hand what ASICS technology is all about,” says Gary Slayton, VP of Marketing, ASICS America.  “ASICS is known for our innovation, and we are proud to be bringing a piece of that to the floor of our first U.S.-based retail store.”

Grand opening events for the public will take place throughout the weekend of October 23, including appearances from ASICS Olympic athlete Lolo Jones, product giveaways, a “fun run” on Saturday, October 24th at 8:00AM starting in Bryant Park and a chance to win a grand prize all-expense-paid trip to an ASICS-sponsored Marathon. For additional information on these activities, visit www.asicsamerica.com/asicsstoreny.

12th IAAF World Championships
August 18, 2009
Olympic Stadium
Berlin, Germany

4-time Olympian and 8-time World Championship Team Member Amy Acuff (Isleton, CA) qualified for Thursday's final in the Women's High Jump by clearing the automatic qualifying mark of 1.95m. Acuff cleared 1.80m/5-10.75, 1.85m/6-0.75 and 1.89m/6-2.25 on her first attempts but needed all three of her attempts to clear 1.92m/6-3.5. She then cleared 1.95m/6-4.75 on her second attempt to automatically advance to her sixth straight World Championship final. Afterwards, Acuff commented, "I'm really excited. I don't take making the finals for granted. Every one is a treasure. I'm really happy to be there, especially in Berlin. I felt like I got up at 6 a.m. I felt like it was early in the morning. I drank my little green tea, but it didn't really kick me up. I think I will feel better in the final. I want to go back (to the hotel), take a nap and get rested and try to have a more fluid run. I'm just going to let myself go and not micromanage everything."

Less than 48 hours after finishing 10th in her first international heptahtlon, Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA) came out fresh and bouncy clearing 1.80m/5-10.75, 1.85m/6-0.75 and 1.89m/6-2.25 on her first attempts. At the next height, however, Day was unable to clear 1.92m/6-3.5 and failed to advance to the next round.

Wednesday's action will see Jake Arnold (Tucson, AZ) start day 1 of the Decathlon. Arnold will compete in the 100m, Long Jump, & Shot Put in the morning session and the High Jump, & 400m in the evening session.

12th IAAF World Championships
August 17, 2009
Olympic Stadium
Berlin, Germany

In only her sixth multi-event competition, 2008 Olympian Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA) proved she will be a permanent fixture in the Heptathlon after finishing in 10th place at the 12th IAAF World Championships. Day started day 1 running 13.90sec in the 100m hurdles and followed with a 1.89m clearance in the High Jump and was in second place after two events with a total score of 2086 points. Despite not warming over the bar due to a serious case of patellar tendinitis caused by the long plane ride over to Germany, Day was excited to clear 1.89m. She put the Shot 13.42m to set a new event personal best and ran the 200m in 25.15sec for a 4 event total of 3714 points and finish day 1 in 8th place. Day 2 began with the Long Jump and Day only managed to leap 5.69m to fall into 11th place. She threw a new personal best 44.14m in the Javelin and ran the 800m in 2:13.84, the last of seven events, for a total score of 6126 points and a top 10 finish. "I'm very happy about my performance," Day commented after the grueling 800m. "It's my first major competition at the international scale and I couldn't be happier with 10th place in the world right now. It was a really good experience to compete at a world level. I'm going to put this in my pocket and keep training."

Two years ago at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, US Champion and 2008 Olympian Diana Pickler (Sachse, TX) finished her first international heptathlon in 25th place. She improved on that performance with an 11th place finish with a total score of 6086 points. A blistering start in the 100m hurdles with a finishing time of 13.50sec put Pickler in fourth place after the first event but below average marks in the High Jump (1.77m), Shot Put (12.40m) and 200m (24.75sec) resulted in many lost points and she finished day 1 in 12th place with a total score of 3589 points. Day 2 started off better for Pickler with a season best mark in the Long jump (6.24m) and she followed it up by throwing the Javelin 41.13m. Pickler finished the last of seven events by running a new personal best in the 800m crossing the finish line in 2:15.60. "I came in so prepared. I went in here faster and stronger than I've ever been, and I felt mentally prepared. It just didn't start out this way," Pickler commented after the 800m. "The first day was a struggle, and it was so frustrating, because I knew that I did everything to prepare right for this meet. It was hard to go out there and be disappointed with the way things went in day 1. I was nowhere close to where I should have been." She added "Today, I just tried to block everything out. I was really happy with setting a PR in the 800 after what I went through in the competition. Setting a PR in the 800 is going to make me mentally stronger."

In the qualifying round in the Women's Javelin, Kara Patterson (West Lafayette, IN) threw 52.91m and did not advance to Tuesday's final.

Athlete's seeing action on Tuesday will be 2008 Olympians Amy Acuff and Sharon Day competing in the qualifying rounds of the Women's High Jump.

Irvine, CA (July 28, 2009) - For the second time in two years ASICS’ GEL-Nimbus® has been named “Editor’s Choice” by Runner’s World® magazine. The review of the updated GEL-Nimbus 11 will be featured in the September issue of Runner’s World.

According to Runner’s World, “ASICS pimped out the latest Nimbus with an abundance of memory foam in the interior and a pillowy new midsole material throughout the forefoot. The breathable mesh upper has an open feel that provides the toes room to spread out.”

The updated version features an injected Solyte® midsole material under the forefoot which enhances cushioning and durability. In the women’s version, it is customized specifically for women with lower density injected Solyte to compliment a woman’s foot. The weight has dropped to 12.4 ounces and the asymmetrical lacing has been redesigned to remove the overlays across the toe box, creating an open toe environment. Five millimeters of memory foam has been added in the tongue lining and stitch-less PHF® (Personal Heel Fit) has been utilized for a better fit and less irritation.

The GEL-Nimbus 11 is suitable for a range of runners, from under-pronators to mild over-pronators, and features unparalleled cushioning coupled with a broad, stable and flexible base of support.

“We are truly honored to receive this recognition from Runner’s World, the authority in the running community,” says Jim Monahan, VP Footwear, ASICS America Corporation. “The GEL-Nimbus continues to be an outstanding cushioning platform. We feel the latest version offers extra cushioning without sacrificing the stability of the shoe.”

The GEL-Nimbus 11 is available at participating retail stores for $125. To find a retailer, visit www.asics.com. To read the September review (on newsstands August 4th) from Runner’s World visit www.runnersworld.com.

Irvine, CA (July 28, 2009) - Despite a down economy, ASICS America Corporation, the athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer headquartered in Irvine, California, continues to see significant growth and momentum.

Financial results for the 2008 fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, showed the company’s revenue at $510 million, a staggering 20 percent increase over the previous year. Expectations for 2009 are also positive, predicting an increase of between six to seven percent for the first half of the year, and about eight percent for the entire year.

“Our running category is growing even in these tough times,” says Rich Bourne, President and COO, ASICS America. “We have strong brand recognition, excellent product and we are performing well at retail. These are all strong indicators that we have a sound strategy in place, and despite the challenges of the economy, are continuing to build a strong platform for continued growth in the future.”

ASICS America’s running business in particular is strong, with an 11 percent increase for the year to date. This growth is led by a stable of top-selling performance running styles including the GT-2140, GEL-Nimbus and GEL-Kayano. Women’s running also continues to be a main driver of the growth.

“We continue to add innovation on our top performance models like the Kayano and Nimbus series which has met the expectations of our loyal consumers,” say Jim Monahan, Vice President of Footwear, ASICS America. “We also diversified our overall running selections, leading to a new consumer base for our brand.”

According to the NPD Group/Point Of Sale Tracking Service, as of end of May 2009, ASICS is up 20.5 percent in dollars over last year and is number two (in dollars) among all running footwear brands. This is very good standing considering the total running footwear market is down almost five percent.

In addition to the domestic growth, ASICS America’s Brazilian subsidiary continues to benefit from a strong performance brand position resulting in high double-digit growth over the last year.

ASICS America’s growth has contributed to the overall financial growth of parent company ASICS Corporation, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, which posted a seven percent increase (in yen) in net consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories. For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

Irvine, CA (July 23, 2009) - ASICS athlete Ryan Hall has announced he will run the ING New York City Marathon, November 1, 2009. The event, now in its 40th year, is considered one of only five of the "Major Marathons" in the world. This will be Hall's first time running the ING New York City Marathon and his second Major World Marathon this year placing third in the prestigious Boston Marathon in April with a time of 2:09:30.

"My goal is to become the first American winner of a Major World Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon is a crown jewel of marathons," says Ryan Hall. "I'm ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple."

Hall will also be running the New York City Half-Marathon in August where he will be a leading contender. Hall has proven himself as one of the best distance runners in the world; he currently sits number two all time on the American list with a personal best of 2:06:17 from the 2008 London Marathon. In 2007, Hall won the men's Olympic Trials Marathon in New York, securing a trip to Beijing where he finished 10th overall. Hall holds the American half-marathon record with a time of 59:43.

Fans can follow Hall on his road to the ING New York City Marathon. For more information visit www.asicsamerica.com.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories. For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

2009 US Track & Field Championships
June 28, 2009
Eugene, OR

Team ASICS had a fantastic final day at the US Track & Field Championships with four athletes punching their tickets to Berlin, Germany for the 2009 IAAF World Championships (August 15-23, 2009).

Harris Soars to 2nd Outdoor Title
The qualifying party was started by 2004 Olympian Tora Harris (Chula Vista, CA) when he stunned the field by clearing 2.31m (7' 7") to win the competition. This is Harris' 2nd US Outdoor title and he dedicated his victory to the R & D Center in Kobe, Japan for producing custom made shoes for him which he wore for the first time in competition today. With windy conditions and a big field of 26 jumpers, Harris commented that "I was just hanging in there and staying tough. I had to make adjustments because of the conditions. It was a great day to jump despite having too much tail wind. It was a big field with 26 guys, so in that situation you need to make adjustments and settle down."

Brown to Berlin
Soon after Tora's winning jump, Ryan Brown (Seattle, WA) stepped on to the track for the final of the Men's 800m. Brown was in 7th place at the halfway mark coming through in 53.39sec but slowly moved his way to 5th place at the 600m mark in 1:19.55. Brown slowly made his move around the last turn and ran past the two runners in front of him to finish in 3rd place and win a plane ticket to Berlin. The 2-time NCAA Champion crossed the finish line in 1:46.67 to secure his spot on his first World Championship team.

1-2 Finish in the Heptathlon
As Brown was celebrating at the finish line, 2008 Olympians Diana Pickler (Manhattan, KS) and Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA), along with the other heptathletes, were brought onto the track for the final event of the heptathlon, the 800m. Pickler, by virtue of the lead she had going to the last event, was guaranteed a spot on the World Championship Team as long as she finished the race. Pickler finished sixth in the 800m with a time of 2:16.99 but scored enough points overall to win the competition with a new personal best score of 6290 points. This is her first outdoor title to go along with the two indoor titles she won in 2007 and 2008. With only four competitions under her belt this year, Pickler said "I definitely felt it a lot in speed and timing. But I'm just looking at the big picture really and trying to focus on what I'm trying to accomplish in the next few months." Pickler makes her second trip to the World Championships after competing in Osaka, Japan in 2007 where she finished in 25th place. Day, however, had to run 2:19.10 or faster in order to hit the "A" standard of 6100 points to guarantee her place on her first World Championship Team. Day was in 2nd place at the halfway mark and broke away from the pack of 14 athletes with 300m to go en route to running a new personal best of 2:13.54, almost 2 seconds faster than the 2nd place finisher. "I knew what I needed (going into the 800). I wasn't running the race to just make it, I was running the best that I could," commented Day after the race. She finished second overall with a new personal best score of 6177 points and, with her 3rd place finish in the HJ on Thursday, will be going to Berlin looking to compete in two events.

In the Women's Pole Vault, 2008 Olympian April Steiner-Bennett (Springdale, AR) finished in a tie for 4th place clearing 4.45m (14' 7 ¼"). In the semi-finals of the 100m Hurdles, LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA) bumped into the runner in the lane next to her, was thrown off balance, and was unable to finish the race.

ASICS Athletes headed to Berlin:
Jake Arnold Decathlon
Ryan Brown 800m
Tora Harris High Jump
Amy Acuff High Jump
Sharon Day High Jump/Heptahlon
Kara Patterson Javelin Throw
Diana Pickler Heptathlon

2009 US Track & Field Championships
June 27, 2009
Eugene, OR

2008 Olympian and Olympic Trials champion Kara Patterson (Vancouver, WA) could not have planned a better debut as an ASICS athlete. In 7th place after three rounds in the Women's Javelin with a best throw of 52.02m (170' 6"), Patterson fouled on her fourth attempt, before unleashing a throw that measured out at 63.95m (209' 10"), a new personal best by almost 8 feet and the 2nd farthest throw in American history. Patterson's winning throw was over 15 feet further than the 2nd place finisher and earned her second consecutive National title.

Patterson just concluded her Purdue Boilermaker career two weeks ago, taking second place in the women's javelin throw at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. A two-time All-American at Purdue, Patterson is one of the top athletes in school history, winning four NCAA Mideast Regional titles, three Big Ten crowns and setting the Purdue and Big Ten records with her then career-best throw of 61.56 meters (202' 00"). The throw makes her one of two American women to ever surpass the 200-foot mark, and led her to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In the Women's Heptathlon, Diana Pickler (Manhattan, KS) and Sharon Day (San Luis Obispo, CA) are in 2nd and 3rd place after the 4 events. Pickler posted marks of 13.43sec in the 100m Hurdles, 1.81m (5' 11 ¼") in the HJ, 13.49m (44' 3 ¼") in the Shot Put, and 24.25sec in the 200m for a first day score of 3768 points. Day's 3739 points came from 13.82sec in the 100m Hurdles, 1.90m (6' 2 ¾") in the High Jump, 12.75m in the Shot Put, and 24.66sec in the 200m. The last three events, the Long Jump, Javelin Throw, and 800m, are scheduled for tomorrow.

In her first race back since injuring her hamstring at the Drake Relays in April, LoLo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA) advanced to tomorrow's semi-final after finishing 3rd in her heat in the 100m Hurdles. Jones crossed the finish line in 12.89sec.

In the 400m Hurdles final, Latosha Wallace (San Marcos, TX) finished in 7th place with time of 57.47sec.

In the final of the Men's pole vault, Rory Quiller (Vestal, NY) cleared 5.40m (17' 8½") finishing tied for 13th place.