As Footwear News previously reported, Asics America Corp. has gone bicoastal with a new East Coast headquarters, which officially opened yesterday.
The Asics Creation Studio, located at 125 Summer Street in Boston, will be home to nearly 100 employees, including members of the product design, marketing and commerce teams. The space, designed by IA Interior Architects, features 18,818 square feet of workspace, as well as two showrooms for meetings and a cafe space outfitted with a whisky bar.
The look of the offices leans toward minimalism, with nods to Japanese culture and craftsmanship, and nature’s balance. For instance, there is an abundance of natural materials such as wood veneer wall panels, and a living plant wall exudes a calming influence. According to the executives, the design was formulated around the brand’s mantra: “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.”
Watch on FN
Asics has been working toward this move for quite some time. Gene McCarthy, president and CEO of Asics America, first shared the news with FN nearly a year ago, explaining that the goal was to more closely connect with East Coast customers.
“Even though we’re highly successful and highly visible in the U.S. and North America, we are a Japanese brand,” McCarthy said at the time. “Our Asics America office is in California because of communications and travel to Japan. [But] Boston is important because of the Northeast corridor’s consumerism, major retailers and its proximity to Europe.”
While Asics will continue to operate out of its original Irvine, Calif., headquarters, it is already working to cultivate strong relationships in the Boston area. The brand announced this week a plan to partner with PHIT America to implement a Morning Mile Program at 10 local area schools. The initiative is intended to encourage regular exercise at schools where the physical education programs have either been reduced or discontinued.
Want More?
Steve Aoki Models Asics and Dim Mak For FN Cover Shoot
Asics Opens Flagship on New York’s Fifth Avenue — First in the U.S.
