Step Into the ASICS Innovation Lab with This Virtual Reality Experience

ASICS recently announced three revolutionary new shoes to power and protect athletes – the METARACER advanced racing shoe for long distances, the METARISE volleyball shoe and the spikeless METASPRINT track shoe for elite sprinters.

The new shoes were originally planned to be announced at an ASICS Innovation Summit in Tokyo. However due to global coronavirus pandemic, the company has taken its shoe innovation into virtual reality, for ASICS’ first product preview in VR.

ASICS challenged Solarflare Studio and Edelman to deliver a time-sensitive solution after having the global product launch event cancelled. Reflecting ASICS’s long-standing commitment to innovation, Solarflare Studio developed an interactive VR experience to present ASICS’s new shoe range in a safe and unique way.

In the experience, viewers can explore the three new shoes in 3D, and even take them for a test 'run' from the safety of their own homes. 

The three new shoes will be announced in the Sunrise Red colour scheme, which is a symbol of athletes’ hope, passion and dedication and celebrates the city of Tokyo.

“The three new shoes keep with the best ASICS tradition: they help athletes to perform better, but also keep them safe at the same time,” said Kenichi Harano, executive officer and senior general manager at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science. “Innovation has been at the core of the ASICS DNA since 1949, when our founder Kihachiro Onitsuka decided the power of sports could help transform the lives of children in war-torn Japan. Kihachiro Onitsuka decided that the power of sports could help children overcome the challenges and hardships after World War II.

“Ever since, whether it was an elite competition year or not, ASICS has continuously innovated to equip athletes of all abilities with the gear they need to reach their peak performance – but to do so safely. That’s the true spirit of ASICS.”

“We believe that now, more than ever, it’s really important to remember the positive impact of sport for individuals and society: exercise uplifts people, so they achieve a sound mind through a sound body. And what better way to showcase ASICS innovation than taking people to a virtual innovation lab that brings our technology to life,” said Yasuhito Hirota, the president and chief operating officer of ASICS.