Mizuno
about mizuno
Origins of the Japanese sneaker brand
The Japanese sportswear company Mizuno was founded in 1906 as Mizuno brothers by Rihachi Mizuno, a lover of baseball, and his younger brother Rizo in Osaka, Japan. The company started off selling mainly baseball gear. Over the next 70 years the company expanded its product range from sporting equipment to athletic spikes and apparel for sports including tennis, golf and skiing. Mizuno’s main goal was always to prioritize athletic performance and to offer athletes optimal support and quality. It’s no wonder that Mizuno has come to be strongly associated with sports in Japan. Mizuno started to focus more on footwear from the 1970s, introducing the M-Line shoe range that covered both athletic and daily wear needs. The shoes, with their M emblem, were a big hit globally.
During the 1980s Mizuno’s technical developments shaped the footwear brand into what it is today. It all started in 1985 when the Magical Cloth Midsole was created, which offered athletes stability and helped prevent inward and outward foot rolling that can lead to injuries. It was an interesting time for creators, because everyone was competing against each other by using new technologies and materials to increase the cushioning of footwear. With the release of the Magical Cloth Midsole Mizuno was able to get a step ahead of the competition and leave a lasting impact on society. Mizuno then developed a corrugated plate called the Mizuno Wave, which overcame two contradictory requirements: cushioning and stability. Wave Rider running shoes, which launched in 1997, make use of this technology and are the company’s best-known creation. Mizuno’s distinctive RunBird logo, named after the sneaker line launched in 1983, really helped the company make a name for itself around the world. Although Mizuno’s brand presence in the fashion and sporting industry has been kept very minimal, Mizuno has managed to convince customers through its authentic and quality footwear.
Branching out
These days, customers are looking for authentic brands that offer a good quality sneaker and know what’s trendy. The younger generations have high expectations of their footwear. Mizuno is a brand that has stayed loyal to its core values and always made quality one of its main priorities. More than a century after it launched, the Japanese brand is starting to branch out and explore new ideas and possibilities for the future. Currently Mizuno is working on two projects: Sportstyle and Kazoku. With the Sportstyle footwear project the Japanese sneaker company is putting a strong focus on the scientific research behind the manufacturing process. Sportstyle is all about discovering new, innovative technologies for long-lasting footwear. You could say it is Mizuno’s own take on a contemporary sneaker.
Alongside Sportstyle, Mizuno are also working on the Kazoku project, from the Japanese for family. The project includes a community of people who share similar ideas and thoughts, sneaker-obsessed brands and worldwide retailers all brought together by Mizuno. Members will be able to access new and exclusive releases from Mizuno and also have the chance to work on collaborations with the sneaker brand. The main goal of this project is, however, to focus on the manufacturing and design process behind every sneaker and share a united vision for the sneaker culture of the future.
Mizuno’s brand history shows that it has a good understanding of technology and quality and will keep meeting customers’ needs in that field. Mizuno have stayed true to their core values but will need to keep adapting and interacting with customers to survive in the competitive and constantly evolving sneaker-hype world. We look forward to seeing more from Mizuno in the future.