Brands: A "Tiger" Moves Into Boston

-Boston Globe

Japanese company Asics is the latest footwear brand to get a toehold in Shoetown. 

The 69-year-old company celebrated the opening of its new “creation studio” at 125 Summer St. last week , inviting its Olympic athlete brand ambassadors Lolo Jones and Jordan Burroughs to help showcase the space and kickoff a Morning Mile running program at 10 city elementary schools. 

Mayor Martin J. Walsh was also on hand at the unveiling of the company’s first East Coast outpost, which will house its creative teams. “We’re becoming the shoe capital of the world,” he said, noting the convergence of Converse, New Balance, Reebok, and M.Gemi in Boston over the last few years. 

Asics moved its footwear, apparel, equipment, marketing, digital, and commerce divisions here from Irvine, Calif., and it plans to house as many as 100 staffers in the new space. It’s already made 50 new hires.

“We’re really excited to be in Boston, there’s a lot of heritage and history of the footwear industry,” said Gene McCarthy, Asics America president and chief executive.

In the 1800s, New England was known for its string of factory “shoe towns” that produced much of the country’s footwear — Lynn, in particular, at one point was making as many as 1 million pairs a day. While shoe production has largely moved to Asia, many of the country’s biggest footwear brands now have headquarters or major operations in Boston. 

McCarthy wants his creative team to be inspired by that rich regional history. “There was an artisan craft here back in the day and we hope that being here is contributing to that craft and honoring that craft,” he said.

But being here also means being closer to the competition, he admitted.