Asics joins the digital sports race with Runkeeper acquisition

It’s been confirmed that trainer maker Asics is acquiring the Runkeeper fitness app.

It seems you’re not a proper running shoe maker these days if you don’t have a digital sports division. Don’t have Nike-like know-how? Then you’d better buy up some app talent, pronto.

We’ve seen Adidas scooping up Runtastic and Under Armor buying both Endomondo and MyFitnessPal (greedy guts) in recent times. Now we can add Asics to that group.

The Japanese sportswear company, which was founded in 1949, is buying the popular Runkeeper app. Or, to put it in Runkeeper CEO Jason Jones’s words, “Runkeeper has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by ASICS Corporation.”

There’s no news on the amount of money involved with this acquisition. According to Jones, however, the move makes a great deal of sense.

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Jones’s assertion that “There is strong alignment between our brands and core values” appears to be more than mere corporate waffle on this occasion. Apparently, Runkeeper’s Shoe Tracker feature shows that “Asics shoes are by far the ones that Runkeeper users run in the most.”

Existing Runkeeper users are assured that “not much will change.” It seems that the current Runkeeper product will carry on, er, running as it is. However, with the sportswear company’s deep pockets (no doubt made from a lightweight breathable material), Runkeeper “will be able to pursue the vision we’ve set out to pursue all along.”