Onitsuka Tiger from the USA: Japanese footwear tested by time
Onitsuka Tiger — one of the oldest footwear manufacturers in Japan. Today it is better known as ASICS, while the Onitsuka brand sells shoes with traditional designs, so-called retro footwear, which has become very popular in recent years. If you are tired of modern sneakers that look like two peas in a pod, Onitsuka Tiger shoes will be a pleasant (and quite inexpensive) alternative.
- American clothing and shoe stores with our delivery to Russia.
16.05.2025
7893 views
The History of Onitsuka Tiger Sneakers
Onitsuka Co. appeared shortly after World War II, in 1949. It was founded by 32-year-old Kihachiro Onitsuka. Watching a team of basketball players, he noticed that they were slipping too much on the floor. And since they need to change direction almost every second, this leads to injuries or missed points.
Then he came up with an idea (and it could only have appeared in Japan!). While eating octopus soup, Kihachiro noticed how firmly a tentacle sticks to the plate. The secret was in the many suction cups, each of which created friction and helped grip the surface. That is how the first Onitsuka Tiger sneakers appeared — with cups and small indentations on the sole. And just a few months later, a school basketball team wearing shoes by Kihachiro won the city championship.
The next big task for the young inventor was creating comfortable shoes for marathon runners. In 1953, he introduced a model that made it possible to run dozens of kilometers without getting calluses and blisters. That is how the first Onitsuka Tiger sneakers appeared. In 1957, Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, winner of many Olympics, began competing in them. It was the first time in his running career that he wore shoes.
In the late 1950s, Kihachiro Onitsuka released the first women's Onitsuka Tiger, which helped the Japanese women's team at the Olympics. He also hosted Phil Knight, a runner from Oregon, who studied methods of creating good footwear at his factories, and later in 1964 founded Blue Ribbon Sports (later known as Nike).
While Nike was only just taking its first steps in the USA, the new men's Onitsuka Tiger sneakers in 1965 helped the Japanese national basketball team take first place in the FIBA World Championship.
What now
In 1977, all of the company's sports labels (there were about a dozen of them) were merged into the ASICS brand. The company now operates under this name, and is known by it all over the world. But it is still possible to buy Onitsuka Tiger sneakers. In 2002, the company brought back this original label, following the trend for retro models. Since then, they could be spotted, for example, in the cult 2003 film «Kill Bill», where Uma Thurman wore them as part of her combat outfit.
Onitsuka sneakers and trainers were once created for basketball, marathons, tennis, football, and martial arts. But now this is more casual footwear that is comfortable for walking around the city and going to the gym in. And for professional sports, the company produces the ASICS brand.
The brand is doing very well for a retro brand. Sales are now growing by 20% per year and amount to about $500 million.
The company's most popular sneaker line is — Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66. In gold and silver colors, they start at $85 on the official website. In Russia, prices without discounts go up to 10990 rubles, with discounts an original pair costs about 8 thousand. The Mexico 66 series is more than 50 years old. It was this exact model (66 SD) that Quentin Tarantino chose for Uma Thurman. Among other well-known lines is — Onitsuka Tiger GSM, priced from $50 for children's versions and from $85 for adult versions. You can find it on the official Onitsuka website right here. The top 3 lines of the Japanese company also include Onitsuka Tiger Corsair, trainers with a characteristic blunt toe. On the official website they start at $100, in Russia — from 8 thousand rubles, but there are almost no offers.
Where to buy Onitsuka Tiger sneakers
- Official website. This is where you’ll find the largest selection. It’s worth checking here if you want to buy Onitsuka Tiger shoes from the latest models. Or one of the rare versions, or get a size that is no longer available anywhere else.
- 6PM. Actually more expensive, buying here is even more выгоднее than on the official website! For example, you can buy Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 here for $45. 2 times cheaper than on the official website! There are even versions for $25-$30. Of course, there are slightly fewer offers than on the official website, but there are quite enough of them to find a suitable model in the right size. And discounts sometimes reach 80%. Moreover, this is exclusively new, unworn footwear.
- Amazon. Good selection, and prices are often even lower than on the official website. Just like 6PM, the store provides free delivery of goods to the Pochtoy.com warehouse.
- Zappos. The main shoe store in the USA. Famous for the quality of its service. There are almost no discounts here, so you shouldn’t expect prices like at 6PM. But the selection here is wider.
- eBay. Here you can buy older versions of Onitsuka Tiger that are no longer sold anywhere. A huge number of options from enthusiasts, from expensive exclusive sneakers costing thousands of dollars — to used versions for $10 or even cheaper. There are also many regular stores operating on this platform, offering sneakers at prices roughly similar to Amazon.
You can then have goods from the USA delivered to Russia with Pochtoy.com. The cost is — only from $12, while on the purchase of one pair of sneakers you save $45+ (if such a version can be found in Russia at all). You can read more about delivery prices and conditions in our «US shipping cost calculator».
Just in case, we are publishing the pages of our personal brand managers:
We wish you enjoyable shopping in US stores!
Our wishes would not be complete without Black Friday in the USA with our operators and delivery.
