1906
Foundation
Rihachi Mizuno and his younger brother Rizo founded “Mizuno Brothers Ltd.” in Kita Ward, Osaka.
The shop sold western sundries, including baseballs. The shop’s mark when it was first founded was the “Izuhi.”
1907
Manufacturing of athletic wear begins
The founder of Mizuno, Rihachi Mizuno, who was impressed by the baseball culture of the United States, began producing athletic wear in an effort to spread baseball in Japan. He aimed to produce athletic wear that was easy to move in and comfortable to wear.
1910
Launch of baseball shoes
Initially, since they were produced using the scant technology and knowledge that Mizuno had, they did not have spikes as the current models do. Entirely covered with leather, they were heavy and shaped like boots.
1913
Manufacturing of baseball gloves begins
In 1913, when Mizuno first marketed its baseball gloves, they were priced at about two Japanese yen a piece. The founder, Rihachi Mizuno, worked with craftsmen to produce gloves which he designed himself.
1918
Launch of novelties
Mizuno began to sell a variety of novelties under distinctive names, including “over sweaters”, “cutter shirts”, “Boston bags”, “run pants” and “polo shirts.”
1928
Manufacturing of track and field cleats begins
When Mizuno first began producing track and field cleats, the material was leather, and long heavy pins were used as spikes. They are the item which has been supported by many top athletes since then and was the starting point of Mizuno's growth into what it is today.
1933
Launch of “Star Line”, the first Japanese made golf club
This is the first golf club which Mizuno produced in Japan. Also, this model is Mizuno’s first forged iron club, which is an important technology passed down and used even these days.
1936
Manufacturing of gliders begins
Mizuno started manufacturing gliders to commemorate its 30th year in business. After years of facing many challenges, a team of engineers successfully conducted a test flight over Mt. Fuji. In 1940, the “Type 301 Soarer” set a new Japanese record for altitude and flight duration.
1947
Manufacturing of tennis rackets begins
Around 1946 right after the end of the war, Mizuno started making a prototype of a tennis racket in its own factory. The following year, facilities were expanded and reinforced, and full-scale manufacture was started. Entering the 1950s, research on not only conventional material of wood but also fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) was advanced. In 1952, the production of tennis and badminton rackets grew so fast that the number of rackets produced reached around 10,000.
1972
Launch of M-Line shoes
The Mizuno shoes, named “M-Line”, which covered all needs from athletic to daily-use made a big splash around the world. In 1975, Mizuno developed the new M-Line series with a more advanced M shape.
1983
Launch of RunBird shoes
That is a mark of the shoes which expresses “an orbit of a planet.” It is named “RunBird” for its shape. Now it is the corporate logo of Mizuno and carries a vital role as the symbol of the company’s brand.
1985
Launch of “Morelia” football boots
This pair of boots, which weighed 245 grams each, was globally marketed as an extremely light pair of shoes in those days. Based on the concept of “light, flexible, and barefoot senses”, they were developed as boots that could be used by anyone irrespective of their skill level and the position which they play on the field in an effort to further draw out the potential of many footballers.
1991
Track and field cleats that supported an athlete establish a new world record
These cleats helped establish the then new world record of 9.86 seconds for 100m. That was the moment when not only the athlete but also all developers who had entered Mizuno wishing to “create shoes that would help produce a new world record” realized their dream.
1997
Launch of Mizuno’s first “Wave Rider”
Mizuno developed a corrugated plate called “Mizuno Wave”, which overcame two contradictory requirements: cushioning and stability. Today, the “Wave Rider” running shoes, which use this plate, are one of Mizuno’s signature series of shoes.
2003
Launch of Mizuno’s first generation of volleyball shoes, “Wave Lightning”
This is the first model of the Wave Lightning series of Mizuno volleyball shoes which have been highly rated by many users from top athletes to casual players.
2007
Launch of “WAVE CREATION” in the world, which uses a new structure called “Infinity Wave”
“Infinity Wave” exhibits the functionality of Mizuno Wave to the maximum extent by reducing the mid-sole sponge. It substantially improved the cushioning, stability, and resilience of Mizuno shoes and prevented them from easily running out of elasticity.
2011
Launch of “Mizuno GX” competition swimsuit
Mizuno launched the “Mizuno GX” competition swimsuit, which is certified by the International Swimming Federation (FINA). The concept of this competition swimsuit is “flat swim”, which has become the fundamental concept for all competition swimsuits for more than ten years since.
2015
The 30th anniversary of the football shoes “Morelia”
Regarding “Morelia”, Mizuno put its maximum effort into making the shoes including the choice of materials and the quality of the manufacturing process. 2015 marked this model’s 30th anniversary, but its design and shape have not undergone any major changes, and it continues to carry on its tradition.
2016
New category is developed for the sports casual wear market
Development of “Sports Style” started as a new lifestyle category for the sports casual wear market. It was launched as fashion sneakers with functions, quality and stories nurtured in the history of Mizuno.
2016
Launch of “Almighty” working shoes
It is a pair of working shoes whose features are soft feeling and mobility. These are the result of using all the knowledge gained from the development of sports shoes.
Starting with the launch of the shoes, Mizuno entered the market of working goods on a full scale.
2019
Development of “DRY AEROFLOW”, Mizuno’s unique material to process sweat which shows excellent breathability during drenching sweat
In the development of “DRY AEROFLOW”, Mizuno paid special attention to films of sweat which lower breathability of cloth and cause discomfort. Even during drenching sweat, the level of performance and comfort is kept by preventing films of sweat to maintain breathability. This is adopted as material for sportswear that a number of top athletes put on.
2020
Development of “MIZUNO ENERZY”, a high resilience material
“MIZUNO ENERZY” was developed, which is a high resilience material for shoes that achieved the highest resilience in Mizuno’s history. As a key material of Mizuno, it is used for various types of shoes including running shoes and indoor shoes.
2021
Launch of “Katanaα”, a leaf springs for prosthetic legs
“Katanaα” was launched, which is a leaf spring for prosthetic legs aimed at people who enter competitions. This is a product to realize a dream of people with disabilities to “run.”
