Japanese sporting goods giants Asics Corp. and Mizuno Corp. have followed suit with Descente Inc. to release new models of long-distance running shoes that incorporate sophisticated technology. With the new models, Japanese makers hope to take advantage of the one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to catch up with the world's top manufacturer Nike Inc., which dominates the global market with its thick-soled shoes integrated with carbon fiber plates.
"We have created competitive shoes. Our first target is 1 million pairs," said Akito Mizuno, the president of Mizuno, as he held up a newly released shoe called the Wave Duel Neo while setting a sales target at an online press conference on July 1.
These shoes are a commercial version of the pair that Yudai Shimazu of Soka University wore when he set a record during the 10th leg of the Tokyo-Hakone Intercollegiate Ekiden race in January. The shoes generated quite a buzz among people. The Wave Duel Neo line utilizes a new material for the sole and the production know-how used to improve the repellence of baseball bats and golf clubs. The new material improves the repellence by about 35% compared to the previous model. The shoes were priced at over 20,000 yen including tax, but the stock set aside for pre-order immediately sold out.
Asics also introduced the new Metaracer model in June, which is characterized by a large curvature in the toe area. "When landing, the sole of the shoe rolls and reduces the angle of movement at the ankle. It is also easy to shift your point of gravity," a company official said. It reduces the burden around the ankle by about 20% and mitigates energy consumption.
Descente released the Genten line, which was designed to fit the shape of Japanese feet, last December. In order to strengthen their durability and grip, the soles of the top-grade shoes are made of rubber that contains graphene, a carbon material that is 200 times stronger than iron. Runners will be able to kick off the ground more powerfully, and their strides will extend by about 15 centimeters. Shoes from all three Japanese companies contain internal plates made from carbon and other materials, but the soles are thinner than Nike's, making a clear difference.
Like Suguru Osako who established a record for Japan at the Tokyo Marathon in March, runners wearing Nike thick-soled shoes have recently been sweeping races both in Japan and abroad. According to market research firm NPD Japan Ltd., sales of running shoes priced over 11,000 yen increased 13.6% last year from the previous year. Nike led the trend with its latest model costing as much as 30,000 yen. A manager at Descente Japan said, "I think the trend is, good products sell well [even if they are expensive], whereas mediocre ones do not."
In the past, the shoe industry has been trying to introduce new products on high-profile stages, such as the Olympics, in an effort to boost advertising effectiveness. However, this is likely to change after the World Athletics made it mandatory in January to sell the products for more than four months in advance of major races.
One year remains until the Tokyo Olympics. While Asics has been steadily touring business and university teams to promote its new products, Descente is strengthening its foothold by first having the shoes worn during training. Mizuno, on the other hand, believes that it is "important to communicate the product's capabilities in an easy-to-understand manner at events as well as online." All three domestic companies are launching counterattacks.
-- Popularity of athletic running rises amid COVID-19
Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the popularity of athletic running has seen an increase worldwide. In a survey conducted by Asics in April and May on 14,000 people from 12 countries around the world, 81% felt that "running has a refreshing effect on the mind." Of those who began running following the infection outbreak, 62% replied that they planned to continue running in the future.
Data from the company's running support app also shows that its users are running more frequently and longer distances. The ratio of domestic users who run more than once a week doubled.
Online shoe sales were up 25% year-over-year from March to May. "I think the spread of COVID-19 has increased people's awareness of the need to maintain good health and improve their immune systems. There is no doubt that running will continue to attract attention," a Mizuno official said.
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