Sports
Inside ASICS Running Shoes with Daniel Costa
ASICS Latin America Product Director details brand innovations, the Blast series, and his marathon journey.
Daniel Costa, ASICS Product Director for Latin America, reveals how the Japanese brand develops its footwear and creates standout models like the Superblast. He also reflects on his path from professional drummer to sports executive and dedicated marathoner.
From musical stages to the global epicenters of athletic footwear innovation, Daniel Costa's career has been driven by bold moves. Now the ASICS Product Director for Latin America, Costa built a career in the sports industry after selling his drum kits to study English abroad. In an appearance on the Stemma Podcast, he took listeners behind the scenes of shoe development, outlined the Japanese brand's product lineup, and discussed his personal running journey.
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The super trainer revolution and the Blast series
A central focus of the discussion was the rise of high-performance running shoes without rigid carbon plates, a concept that established the super trainer category. Leading that shift is the Blast ecosystem, which debuted with the Novablast to deliver high energy return in a lightweight package before expanding across a range of running profiles.
According to Costa, shoes like the Superblast combine the top-tier foams used in elite race models—such as the FF Blast families and Metaspeed compounds—with a high stack height and durable build. This geometry offers responsive cushioning and impact absorption without placing excessive muscular strain on everyday training runs.
From the Kobe lab to Brazilian special editions
ASICS technologies originate at the Institute of Sport Science (ISS) in Kobe, Japan. The facility conducts biomechanical mapping, physiological testing, and materials research focused on performance gains and injury prevention before models go into global production.
In addition to managing global releases, Costa's team creates targeted local projects. The Latin American division has developed commemorative packs for heritage events such as the São Silvestre Road Race and the ASICS Golden Run series, alongside collaborations with Senna Brands and lifestyle label Pace, which reworked the classic Gel-Kayano.
How to choose: the brand's five footwear pillars
To help runners navigate the catalog, Costa broken down the ASICS road and trail running lineup into five core pillars:
- Cushioning and comfort: Flagship daily trainers like the Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Cumulus, built for easy miles and maximum impact absorption.
- Stability: Structured shoes engineered for biomechanical support and pronation control, led by the Gel-Kayano and the GT-1000 and GT-2000 series.
- Energy return: The Blast family (Novablast, Dynablast, Superblast, and Megablast), engineered for lightweight bounce and everyday responsiveness.
- Racing: Plated, race-day shoes designed for top speeds, including the Metaspeed line (Sky, Edge, and Ray) and the Magic Speed.
- Trail running: Dedicated off-road shoes such as the Trabuco, Sonoma, Venture, and the carbon-plated Metafuji Trail.
From drum sets and customer service to executive leadership
Before entering the corporate athletic world, Costa worked as a drum teacher and gigging musician. The pivot came when he sold his musical equipment to fund an exchange program in Australia to gain fluency in English.
He entered the footwear industry through Nike's customer service department, inspecting returns and factory defects. Working directly with footwear flaws led to a role in retail staff training, followed by positions at Puma and Adidas before joining ASICS, where he has worked for eight years.
Overcoming injury and taking on the marathon
Running became a permanent fixture in Costa's life during rehabilitation. After suffering a herniated disc extrusion in 2018 that caused temporary motor loss in his lower limb, he turned to walking and road running to rebuild functional strength.
He ran his debut marathon in Amsterdam in 2023 in heavy rain and near-freezing temperatures. Costa has since finished marathons in Tokyo, Reykjavík, Rio de Janeiro, and San Antonio. The Rio race marked a major personal milestone following the loss of his father, capping a journey of persistence and personal connection to the sport.
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