ASICS is building the future of sneakers in Michigan

ASICS is opening the ASICS Institute of Sport Science America in Ann Arbor, a research centre run together with the University of Michigan. The ASICS Institute of Sport Science has been based in Kobe since 1985, but now gets an American branch.

The first tangible result? According to ASICS, the brand's next super shoe.

At the heart of the partnership is the AMSI Lab on campus, which supports the ASICS Michigan Sport Innovation Center. It is the first lab ASICS has set up together with a university, and the brand is investing 25 million dollars in the collaboration.

Before settling on Michigan, Norihiko Taniguchi visited ten US universities in twelve weeks. He has been with ASICS for 26 years, is CEO of ISS America, founded in December 2025, and co-directs the centre with Dr. Ken Kozloff.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke at the opening. She described the selection process as highly competitive.

The location has sporting history too. In Ann Arbor, Jesse Owens set three world records in a single afternoon in 1935.

Notably, most of the research leads don't come from the footwear world. Their backgrounds are in robotics, automotive engineering, prosthetics and social science.

Taniguchi bridges the gap to shoe design.

From knitwear to kirigami

So what is actually happening there? Six projects form the foundation. Sean Ahlquist combines knitting, sensors and smart materials for a personalised fit. Max Shtein uses kirigami, a Japanese cutting and folding technique, for lightweight and adaptive shoes. According to the lab, that work has already led to a prototype.

Ram Vasudevan estimates runners' forces from ordinary video and AI, without sensors or force plates. Elliott Rouse is building a lightweight exoskeleton cuff that acts like an extra calf muscle, aimed at older and injured runners.

Talia Moore draws inspiration from nature, from the thorny devil to the alpine ibex. Richard Gonzalez researches what runners value, so ASICS can see where the gaps are in its range.

The ASICS Institute of Sport Science America is part of a broader expansion that also includes ISS Europe and the ASICS Technical Lab for rapid prototyping and elite athletes.

The approach follows the ASICS philosophy of 'Chojo': research with athletes first, then translate it into other products.

Besides running, Taniguchi mentions basketball, volleyball and sportstyle as possible applications. Kozloff stresses that this is about new knowledge, not just the next Nimbus.

According to ASICS, the research should start feeding into new running and performance products from 2028.

Until then, you won't find the work of the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in stores yet. Want to browse the ASICS lifestyle and sports range right now? You can do that on the ASICS website.