
Mizuno was founded by two brothers, Riachi and Rizo , in a small sports shop in Japan in 1906. After experiencing the culture built around baseball in the United States, they began manufacturing clothing for the sport with the aim of introducing it to Japan. In 1910, they created their first baseball shoes and, since then, have specialized increasingly in the world of footwear. In their desire to excel and push boundaries, they included innovations such as cleats for both the field and the track. After a few years, they were convinced that to get the most out of each pair of shoes, it was important to invest in research and development. So, in 1938, they founded their scientific laboratory, from which came the innovations that would take them to the top in the world of competition and high-performance footwear. They are ultra-light shoes with great absorption capacity, low impact, and great traction. Although Mizuno's origins were heavily inspired by baseball, the brand has continued to grow and specialize in other sports. Mizuno shoes are highly sought after by professionals in running, trail running, tennis, soccer, handball, volleyball, and rugby. The Japanese brand established itself in these sectors by signing sponsorship contracts with great athletes such as Ayrton Senna (Formula 1), Mikkel Hansen (handball), Luke Donald (golf), Alfonso Soriano (baseball), Robert Farah (tennis), Hulk (soccer), and Thiago Motta (football). In 1991, Carl Lewis broke the world record for the 100-meter dash wearing Mizuno shoes. And in 1999, Rivaldo, a player for FC Barcelona, won the "FIFA World Player of the Year" award after a season wearing Mizuno shoes. Although the Mizuno brand is known worldwide for its sports shoes, it also offers a wide range of sportswear.