Asics president Mitsuyuki Tominaga is cautious that the sportswear maker will eventually have to raise prices if the conflict in the Middle East continues in the wake of the Iran War.
Tominaga told Nikkei Asia on Sunday that higher oil prices and shipping products along the Suez Canal could impact the Japanese brand’s operating costs.
“The rising cost of transporting finished goods is our biggest concern,” Tominaga said.
Asics ship goods to Europe and the United States from factories in Indonesia and Vietnam through the canal and as tensions escalates, rerouting cargo vessels would result in longer transport times.
Tominaga’s remarks also signals that Asics is the one of first footwear and apparel brands to acknowledge the looming impact from the Iran war is far from temporary.
The brand has already suggested that ships will have to sail toward the Cape of Good Hope, with delays likely being an inevitable reality as the company looks to ride the momentum of a strong fiscal year from 2025. Key markets in Europe and the Americas were vital to Asics soaring to a 19.5 percent jump in overall sales at $5.1 billion last year.
Tominaga believes the company can manage its own uncertainly stemming from instability in the Middle East even with Indonesia being among its top export regions that drives over 60 percent products to the U.S.
“We can currently offset this through growth in other regions,” Tominaga said.
Last month, Asics said that it estimated $6 billion in net sales on $1 billion in operating profit in 2026 with its running products leading the charge and hoped to be the brand on the majority of feet of runners at the year’s major marathons.
The company’s SportStyle line of lifestyle footwear continues to be a strong seller, appealing to buyers with retro-inspired iterations of its past running shoes that have gained a fashion-minded audience.
But the closer regions outside of its home market in Japan are a priority in what Asics has declared as the “Year of Asia.” A Chinese expansion that began in 2025 will see even greater attention as disruptions from conflict in the Middle East seem more probable.
Beyond China, Asics has locked in a $100 million sales target for its Southeast Asia market, with Indonesia as the primary focus after posted a 51 percent surge on $46 million last year.
