The History
of
Onitsuka Tiger
Onitsuka Tiger Brand Revival
Second Stage
2002〜2018
Onitsuka Tiger brand revival
As the high-tech sneaker boom of the 1990s subsided, fashion-forward youth started looking towards vintage, nostalgic sneakers. Recognizing this sea change and encouraged by fans’ calls for a revival, Onitsuka Tiger made its comeback. This time, it emerged not only as a shoe manufacturer but as a fashion brand offering apparel, accessories, and more.
In 2002, the brand introduced its iconic shoe, the MEXICO 66.
The retro-style sneakers were showcased at Pit ti Immagine Uomo, Italy’s top men’s fashion trade show, causing a sensation in Europe and creating a boom that made its way back to Japan.
2002
- The brand is brought back to life with announcement of the MEXICO 66.
2003
The TAI-CHI model becomes the talk of the town after Uma Thurman wears it in Kill Bill .
Uma Thurman, star of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill , wears the TAI-CHI shoes onscreen, creating a big splash
2005
Relaunch of the TIGER CORSAIR, first sold in the U.S. in 1969
2007
CALIFORNIA 78 released, based on the jogging shoes sold in 1978
2008
- An entirely made-in-Japan series is introduced.
- Launch of the NIPPON MADE series, aimed at showcasing the marvels of Japanese craftsmanship to the world through quality materials, dyeing, and sewing entirely made-in- Japan
2010
- The visuals for the TANSU line win gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
- Ogura Tansu Ltd., a long-standing Niigata furniture maker specializing in kiri-tansu (paulownia chest of drawers), commissioned to handcraft the TANSU shoe using traditional techniques. Campaign visuals from the project win the Gold Design Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
2011
- Launch of Onitsuka Tiger MAGAZINE , a digital
- Launch of Onitsuka Tiger MAGAZINE , a digital fashion magazine tracking the latest trends
2012
- A new flagship store, ONITSUKA TIGER OMOTESANDO, opens in Tokyo.
- The brand’s first flagship store ONITSUKA TIGER OMOTESANDO opened to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Onitsuka Tiger brand’s revival
- Start of a collaboration with up-and-coming Italian designer Andrea Pompilio,
- producing what is now called the YELLOW COLLECTION. MEXICO MID RUNNER DX collab shoes released
2013
Ready-to-wear clothing and accessory line presented at Pitti Immagine Uomo
- 2013 Autumn Winter
- The brand’s first full-scale runway show hosted at the same event, coinciding with the launch of a women’s collection
- 2014 Spring Summer
- 2013 Punta della Dogana
2014
Runway shows hosted at Milan Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week
- 2014 Autumn Winter
- 2014 January: Milan / March: Tokyo (Tokyo Fashion Week)
- 2015 Spring Summer
- 2014 Tokyo (Tokyo Fashion Week)
2015
- 2015 Autumn Winter
- 2015 Tokyo (Tokyo Fashion Week)
- 2016 Spring Summer
- 2015 Tokyo (Tokyo Fashion Week)
2016
- The Essence of an Era: A Retrospective of Creations
- Our seasonal campaign visuals play a vital role in communicating Onitsuka Tiger’s latest identity.
2017
- A new store, ONITSUKA TIGER OMOTESANDO NIPPON MADE, opens for the made-in-Japan line.
- 2017 The world’s first NIPPON MADE specialty store ONITSUKA TIGER OMOTESANDO NIPPON MADE opened
- 2017 Autumn Winter
- 2017 Seoul
- 2017 Spring Summer
- Campaign visual
- 2017 Autumn Winter
- Campaign visual
2018
- Founder of Onitsuka Tiger Kihachiro Onitsuka’s centennial is celebrated.
- A series of products with sunflower motifs released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kihachiro Onitsuka’s birth
- MEXICO 66 SD is released
- MEXICO 66 SD released, reconstructing details from the MEXICO 66 with new styling variations
- 2019 Spring Summer
- 2018 Tokyo (Okuma Memorial Auditorium, Waseda University)
- 2018 Spring Summer
- Campaign visual
- 2018 Autumn Winter
- Campaign visual
