Mizuno Corp.

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Mizuno Crista, Mizuno Corporation Osaka Head Office
Mizuno Crista, Mizuno Corporation Osaka Head Office

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, cycling and athletics.

[edit] Teams and athletes using with Mizuno equipment

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

  • world renowned footballer (soccer player) Rivaldo wore mizuno boots throughout his career
  • The Philippines national football team's jerseys are manufactured by Mizuno.
  • Nicky Lister wore Mizuno football boots on his tour to Argentina and Chile in the summer of 2008
  • 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.
  • Golfer Ryan Coulter 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.
  • Atlanta Braves 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 wears Mizuno Boxing Shoes.
  • Scott Edwards: Judo Athlete
  • Keith Morgan: Judo Athlete, Pan American Champion, 3X Olympian
  • USA Olympic Volleyball team
  • Mizuno is known more for its baseball than any of its other sports. Baseball equipment leads to the majority of its income.
  • Softball star Jennie Finch uses Mizuno
  • Houston Astros all-star shortstop Miguel Tejada uses mostly Mizuno equipment
  • Ichiro Suzuki uses all Mizuno equipment
  • Stacey "Stay-Lo" Reile uses Mizuno boxing shoes
  • Tennis player Ivan Lendl played with a Mizuno racquet towards the end of his career.
  • Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, wore Mizuno running shoes during a staged flag football game on November 28, 2007 prior to the Republican Presidential CNN/YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

[edit] Current Golf Equipment

Drivers

Fairway Woods

Hybrids

Irons

Wedges

Putters

[edit] External links

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