ASICS Canada Announces First-Ever Canadian Flagship Store on Queen W. in Toronto

New approach to retail features two ASICS brands together under one roof

TORONTO, March 8, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - ASICS, the true sport performance brand, will open the doors to its first Canadian flagship store on Friday, March 9, 2018.  The Toronto retail location will feature two brands in the ASICS family- ASICS and ASICSTIGER^TM.

ASICS is the acronym for 'Anima Sana In Corpore Sano', meaning "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body" in Latin, encouraging the pursuit of mental and physical health and well-being. This mantra will be consistently channeled through the fully integrated sports environment brought to life in an innovative and elevated shopping experience where both the mind and body are inspired. 

"Our first Canadian flagship store represents a larger brand shift. After launching our I MOVE ME^TM brand campaign last fall, growing our Canadian presence was inevitable, "says Richard Sullivan, President of ASICS Canada. "The flagship store represents the new direction of the brand, offering consumers a brand experience aimed at celebrating movement, while offering them the best of our products across both performance and lifestyle, better catering to their needs."

For the first time in a brand-owned location in Canada, ASICS will feature a modulating showcase of two distinct brands in its portfolio, each with its own unique offering:

• ASICS – Shoes and apparel designed for athletes and sports enthusiasts with the purpose of improving performance by continuing to offer the best product; building upon technological advances and applying fundamental and applied research of the human body and its needs in athletic gear.
• ASICSTIGER^TM – Drawing inspiration from the authentic Japanese heritage of ASICS, ASICSTIGER is a lifestyle brand that takes a street-inspired approach to classic footwear and apparel silhouettes. Art, music, fashion and Japanese culture influence the ASICSTIGER vision, often celebrated through exclusive collaborations with renowned designers and artists all over the world.

Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the company in 1949, who began manufacturing basketball shoes in Kobe, Japan. Having been demobilized from war in 1945, Onitsuka resolved to form his own company and produced sports footwear for youth, which were in short supply at the time. The first competition sports shoes produced by the brand were a pair of basketball shoes, paving the way for ASICS to later become an international health, wellness and sports company continuously striving to produce the best-designed footwear in the world.

Located on bustling Queen St. W., this new global retail concept, combining performance and lifestyle product, represents the pinnacle of the new store concept and is reflected across point of sale areas globally. The new space balances the highly technical aspects of the brand's products - a sound body - with natural, warm finishes, features and materials - a sound mind - resulting in an environment that immerses customers in a world where both the mind and body are stimulated.

In celebration of the flagship opening weekend (March 9-11, 2018), ASICS will host a variety of complimentary sneaker-inspired talks and panels focusing on 'moving' sneaker culture.

Speakers and panelists include:

• One-on-one chat with Deon Point, Concepts (Friday, March 9 at 6:45PM)
• A panel discussion curated by Bryan Brock, Creative Director (Saturday, March 10 at 11:00AM)
• A panel discussion curated by Meredydd Hardie (Sunday, March 11 at 1PM)

Additional Information

• Store name: ASICS Toronto
• Address: 364 Queen St. W. (Queen St. W. and Spadina Ave.)
• Store hours: Monday – Saturday: 11AM-8PM
• Sunday: 11AM-6PM
• Total store floor space: 4,400 Square Feet of selling space

About ASICS
Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body," is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of performance athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.asics.com.

Connect with us on Instagram at:
@ASICSCanada @ASICSTigerCanada

SOURCE ASICS Canada

ASICS Canada, Christina Peck, 416.371.6292, [email protected] ; BICOM Communications, Sophia Scaletta, 514.223.6770 ext. 232, [email protected]