Asics to Split Off Profitable Onitsuka Tiger Sneaker Brand

Japanese shoe maker Asics said it will spin off its Onitsuka Tiger brand to speed up decision-making at one of the company’s key sources of income. Reuters reported that under the plan, Onitsuka Tiger, which was founded nearly 80 years ago, will be transferred to OT Group, a wholly owned subsidiary, through a brand split that will take effect on January 1.

Asics CEO Yasuhito Hirota said at a press conference that there is no intention to make OT Group a public company. The move comes amid rising sales for the brand over the past four years, which helped Asics post record revenue. Shares of the company, which competes with global giants such as Nike, Adidas and Puma, have surged sevenfold over the past five years, giving it a market value of about $20 billion.

"When organizations become too large, decision-making often becomes slower because there are more layers of management to go through for approvals," said Tatsunori Kawai, chief strategist at Mitsubishi. "That is why a split is an ideal move for companies with rapid growth rates."

Ryohji Shoda, CEO of OT Group, said an Onitsuka Tiger store will open in Los Angeles in February next year. The plan also calls for opening a new flagship store in Tokyo next month. Additional flagship stores are scheduled to open in cities such as Shanghai, Milan and Seoul over the next three months.

Onitsuka Tiger’s sales growth in recent years is due in part to the surging popularity of retro sneakers. The brand gained wide exposure in 2003 after a yellow and black pair was worn by Uma Thurman’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s film "Kill Bill." Last year, the brand reported a 43% jump in sales from the previous year to $851 million, thanks to strong demand in Europe, increased tourism in Japan and a weaker yen. The brand also reported a profit margin of 38% in 2025, the highest among all Asics brands.

The brand’s shoes are known for their minimalist design. It was founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka, who designed athletic shoes out of the belief that nurturing a young and healthy generation was essential to Japan’s recovery after World War II. He added the name Tiger to the brand because, he said, it was the strongest animal in Asia.