Mizuno

Mizuno Crista, Mizuno Corp. Osaka Head Office, in Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan

Taiwan Mizuno Corp. General Manager Masashi Kusumoto made his opening speech at 2006 Taipei 101 Run Up.

Mizuno Corporation (ミズノ株式会社, Mizuno Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 8022) is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. The original Mizuno shop in Osaka was an importer of American golf and baseball equipment. However, Rihachi Mizuno became frustrated with the quality of imported products and sought local Japanese factories who could manufacture to higher specifications. The domestic-made products were labeled with the family name, giving birth to the Mizuno brand. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, including equipment used in Judo, golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, skiing, and athletics.

Athletic Footwear Technology Mizuno's patented wave technology gives their athletic footwear cushioning and stability, the two most important features athletic shoes need, simultaneously, thus keeping the shoes lighter, more flexible, and balanced.

Apparel Body Warming Technology Mizuno's patented breath thermo technology generates heat while wicking the sweat off of your body so you can wear less and stay just as warm.

Athletes using with Mizuno equipment

Selected notable athletic accomplishments by athletes using Mizuno equipment or notable athletes who use Mizuno equipment:

• Carl Lewis broke the 100m sprint world record in 1991 with a time of 9.86 seconds while wearing Mizuno spikes.
• Koji Murofushi, an employee of Mizuno, won the gold medal in the men's hammer throw at the the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
• Golfer Tiger Woods used Mizuno golf clubs while he was in college in 1995 and 1996
• Golfer Luke Donald uses Mizuno golf clubs.
• Mizuno is known to make some of the highest quality golf equipment, that even though they sponsor very few golfers, many played with their clubs regardless because of their quality. They were the leading irons on tour for 8 years in a row until recently when more and more companies paid players to play their sponsor's clubs.
• New York Yankee left fielder, Hideki Matsui, uses custom made Mizuno baseball bats.
• Atlanta Braves players Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur wear Mizuno cleats and other accessories.
• New York Mets two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Tom Glavine uses Mizuno gloves.
• Vanessa Fernandes was wearing Mizuno shoes when she won the Beijing Triathlon in 2006.
• Boxing star Wladimir Klitschko also wears Mizuno Boxing Shoes.

External links

• Mizuno Official Website