Asics Saw ‘Significant Growth' in Sportstyle, Performance Running Sneakers in Q1
According to the Japanese sportswear company, net sales in the first quarter of 2025 were 208.3 billion yen, a 19.7 percent increase from 174.1 billion yen in first-quarter 2024. The company noted that this is the first time its net sales have surpassed the 200 billion yen threshold on a quarterly basis.
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By category, the focus on high-end products in the performance running category was a highlight, resulting in net sales of 98.0 billion yen, an 11.5 percent increase from 87.9 billion yen the same time last year. The company said that Asics Japan, the Europe region, and the Southeast and South Asia regions grew significantly in performance running.
In the sportstyle category, Asics noted that net sales 'grew significantly in all regions,' with a 49.6 percent year-over-year increase to 35.1 billion yen in the first quarter due to continued strong sales of Vintage Tech products. Asics added that it plans to host an event during Paris Fashion Week in June to further heighten its presence as a premium lifestyle brand.
Net sales of the Onitsuka Tiger category increased 57.2 percent in the first quarter to 28.3 billion yen, continuing its strong growth. Asics said that it has taken steps to elevate the Onitsuka Tiger brand value globally, with initiatives that include taking part in Milan Fashion Week and opening a flagship in Barcelona, Spain. Asics also said it plans to open a Onitsuka Tiger flagship on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in July.
Zooming in on North American sales, the company said it saw 'significant growth' in the sportstyle category in the first quarter as well as improved profitability at company-owned retail stores. Overall net sales in the region increased 18.3 percent to 39.1 billion yen in the first quarter, up from 33.1 billion yen the same time last year.
Further, Asics North America saw a profit in all three divisions — wholesale, retail and e-commerce — with wholesale delivering its fifth consecutive quarter of growth. In the first quarter, the U.S. wholesale channel was up 37.6 percent compared to the previous quarter.
Both the run specialty and sporting goods categories saw double-digit growth over the same period last year, Asics noted, which was due to the 'significant demand' for the Novablast family of products, along with strong sales of the Gel-Cumulus and Gel-Nimbus sneaker franchises. The primary growth drivers for the sportstyle category, contributing to triple-digit growth this quarter over the previous year, were the Gel-1130 and GT-2160 models.
As for Asics' core performance sport category, which includes the brand's tennis offering, net sales in the U.S. increased 15 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024. The Gel-Resolution led the way in sales, seeing a near 50 percent growth compared to the same quarter the previous year. The Dedicate family and the Solution Speed models also contributed to the overall category growth. Another notable increase in the region this quarter was the triple-digit growth of skateboarding sales, the company added.
'We are very pleased to see the growth across our divisions, fueled by strong response and demand for a number of our products in the various categories,' Koichiro Kodama, president and chief executive officer of Asics North America, said in a statement. 'As the year continues, and even when faced with uncertainties, we remain strongly committed to the success of our industry and supporting and collaborating with our key partners.'
Looking ahead, Asics noted that it expects the impact of U.S. tariff policies and the rise in freight cost is estimated to be up to 5.0 billion yen for fiscal 2025. For the full year, Asics Corp. is expecting net sales to be 780.0 billion yen, up 15 percent from fiscal 2024.
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