In 1949, Kihachiro Onitsuka created the first ASICS shoe in his living room in Kobe Japan, under the Onitsuka Tiger name. Onitsuka Tiger, the forerunner of ASICS, was born in 1949. The brand began with Kichachiro Onitsuka's commitment to promote youth health through sport and since then, the Onitsuka Tiger stripes have become synonymous with premium performance in sport.