Do we like them?

Do we like Asics?

Japanese maker of running shoes, sportswear and the Onitsuka Tiger brand, based in Kobe, Japan.

Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. Strong brand, but watchdogs say it didn't do enough about a jailed union leader at a Cambodian supplier. We'd want better labour-rights follow-through before backing it.

Asics is the Kobe-based sports brand behind the running shoes and Onitsuka Tiger. Yasuhito Hirota, who came over from Mitsubishi Corporation in 2018, is now Chairman and CEO. Mitsuyuki Tominaga became President and COO at the start of 2024.

The big drama is in Cambodia. Worker-rights groups accused Asics of standing by after a worker at its supplier Wing Star Shoes, Chea Chan, who led a new independent union, was jailed for six months. The groups say the supplier filed a false criminal complaint against him.

Asics says it has been working on freedom of association at its Cambodian suppliers and that the supplier accepted its demands. Clean Clothes Campaign isn't convinced. In 2025 it said workers reported extreme heat, toxic glues, illegal overtime and employer-controlled "yellow unions".

We scored it a 5. Most of what we found is from campaigners, who only give one side, and we found no fine or court ruling against Asics. Still, the unresolved supplier case is a real worry. Asics hasn't yet shown it fixed things for workers.