Onitsuka Tiger by Asics
Onitsuka Tiger was established by Japanese entrepreneur Kihachiro Onitsuka in 1949. Onitsuka originally founded his shoe company to promote a healthy, active lifestyle for the youth of his homeland during the post-war years. Onitsuka designed and discarded several athletic shoes until he developed a technically practical basketball shoe. Onitsuka’s basketball shoe was developed by studying the needs of the Kobe basketball team for six months until he came up with a flexible, lace-up design with great grip. Prior to the first Onitsuka athletic shoe, most basketball games in Japan were played barefoot since suitable footwear was usually unavailable. Kihachiro Onitsuka devoted himself to improving Onitsuka designs and performance.
Onitsuka’s first major success was marked when the Onitsuka Tiger Company was asked to provide the Japanese Olympic team with footwear for the 1960 Rome games. Onitsuka was again asked to provide Olympic footwear for the 1968 games. Onitsuka Tiger’s trademark stripes became permanent in 1968 when Onitsuka designed a special edition sneaker for the Mexico Olympics. The Japanese team wore them that year and now you can too. Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 remains one of Onitsuka’s most popular styles even now. Contemporary color palettes for the popular Mexico 66 are released each season. Onitsuka Tiger shoes have evolved from an innovative sports shoe into a full-fledged fashion sneaker. Onitsuka established a company to promote healthy activity for a new generation but Onitsuka created more than a simple athletic shoe. Onitsuka Tiger shoes became an icon first in the arena of sports, and now Onitsuka Tiger shoes are leaving their mark on the world of fashion.
