For over half a century, Onitsuka Tiger’s MEXICO 66™ model, synonymous with the brand, has been a favorite of customers all over the world. Now we announce a pair of shoes that, for the first time, use materials derived from Mexican cacti and produced according to an environmentally friendly process while retaining the iconic design elements of the MEXICO 66™: the MEXICO 66™ CACTFUL™.

The profound links between Onitsuka Tiger and Mexico date back to 1966 with the brand’s “Mexico Line” (now Onitsuka Tiger stripes) and the 1968 Summer Olympics held there, where Japan’s athletes wore shoes that became the basis for the model name and design of the MEXICO 66™. Mexico, home to numerous prickly pears from which the raw materials are sourced, is therefore one of the inspirations behind the introduction of Onitsuka Tiger’s representative model. The affinity born of these shared roots with Mexico and the potential of environmentally friendly materials underlies the development and production of this model.

Retaining the iconic design elements of the MEXICO 66™ while taking advantage of the soft texture characteristic of cactus materials difficult to achieve with animal leather, we offer shoes in five original colors. The design also exploits the lightness characteristic of cactus-based materials, while the shoelaces made with recycled materials are environmentally friendly.

Desserto®, developed by the Mexican firm Adriano Di Marti, is cactus leather produced without using the harmful chemicals phthalates or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The amount of water consumed in the manufacturing process is comparatively low, causing this bio-material to become a source of global interest. The material is characterized by its durability, the outstanding protection it offers against ultraviolet rays, and the softness of its texture.
In this collaboration, Onitsuka Tiger has worked with the engineers behind Desserto® to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the production process by approximately 80% compared to the production of traditional animal leather. As well, the prickly pear remaining post-production is used by the food and beverage industry, while the shoe uppers, the inner soles, the shoelaces and other shoe parts use recycled materials, reducing the environmental impact.

*Results based on early-stage lifecycle analysis conducted by Desserto® on Desserto® products following ISO guidelines 14040 and 14044 governing lifecycle analysis, based on estimates made from preliminary data pertaining to the relevant supply chain production processes and materials.

＜MEXICO 66™ CACTFUL™ Overview＞
Release Date Thursday, June 15th, 2023 (to be released sequentially in countries around the world)
Dedicated Webpage: https://www.onitsukatiger.com/jp/ja-jp/mk/mexico66cactful
品番： 1183C137
Colors： [100-CACTFUL WHITE/CACTFUL WHITE], [300-CACTFUL GREEN/CACTFUL GREEN]
[400-CACTFUL BLUE/CACTFUL BLUE], [500-CACTFUL PURPLE/CACTFUL PURPLE], [750-CACTFUL YELLOW/CACTFUL YELLOW], Sizes： 22.5-29.0, 30.0, 31.0cm