ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Yoshihisa Suzuki, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it has obtained exclusive import/distribution rights in Japan for Brooks, a U.S.-based running shoes brand. Through Achilles Corporation (headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Mamoru Ito, President; hereinafter “Achilles”), full-scale distribution will commence in the spring/summer of 2020, aiming to register 3 billion yen in revenue on a retail basis in three years.

John Brooks Goldenberg, founder of the Brooks brand, started manufacturing shoes in Pennsylvania, the U.S., in 1914. In the 1970s, in the middle of the running boom in the U.S., he developed the world’s first running shoes with an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sole. He created many innovative features, including Brooks DNA, a cushioning system that changes automatically to an optimal cushion, and the world’s first 3D foot scanned, fully-customized running shoes. Under the corporate motto of “Run Happy,” in which daily running offers favorable changes to the body and mind regardless of sex, age or experience, Brooks has grown into a full-scale running shoes brand that is supported in more than 50 countries worldwide. In addition, it has strong awareness of the environment and is highly regarded for its sustainable initiatives, such as the obtainment of bluesign certification for its manufacturing process and the development of highly biodegradable midsole material, BioMoGo DNA.

ITOCHU and Achilles will combine their abundant experience and expertise to expand their share of the running market in Japan, proposing a lifestyle with the pleasure of running to improve the health of more people. The companies will appeal from the perspective of the world of Brooks, as a full-scale running shoes brand, by holding events focused on female runners and making efforts toward the dissemination of 3D foot scanned, fully customized shoes, striving to improve the brand value and brand recognition. In addition, ITOCHU will expand sales channels not only to specialty shops, but to select shops that are highly sensitive to fashion, aiming to create new value that goes beyond the border of sports, fashion and lifestyle.