Along with cans of matcha powder, Monchhichi blind boxes and bagfuls of 7-Eleven snacks, trend-chasing tourists in Tokyo are squeezing one more item into their suitcases home—and sending waves through the footwear industry.
The must-have souvenir is a pair of sneakers from Onitsuka Tiger, the 76-year-old Japanese shoe brand. The thin-soled trainers, which have had a loyal fanbase for decades, are experiencing a fresh burst of popularity thanks to a rise in global travel to Japan and the ensuing internet hype for all things Japanese. Onitsuka brought in nearly 66 billion Yen ($434 million) in net sales for the first half of 2025, a 50 percent increase from the same period a year ago, according to its latest earnings report. Investors are lining up behind the brand’s parent company, Asics Corp., whose shares more than tripled over the two years ended Oct. 27. Shares of rival Adidas AG increased 13 percent over the same period, while Nike Inc. shares fell 30 percent. Asics did not respond to a request for comment.
Foot Race
Videos about Onitsuka’s leather Mexico 66 and Tokuten styles, both of which have a low profile and come in a bevy of bright hues, are all over social media. The brand’s flagship store in Tokyo’s fashion-forward Ginza district is a popular location for influencers to film. There, shoppers will find an entire floor devoted to the Mexico 66 model—originally designed for athletes in the 1968 Summer Olympics and made famous by Uma Thurman in the “Kill Bill” films —where they can customize their purchases with embroidered initials. “Next time I go to Japan, I’m going to get them in silver and gold, and also the brown,” Elise Brulotte, a content creator from Seattle, said while showing off her white-and-black pair in a TikTok post in June.
With the yen plunging—it reached a 38-year low in 2024—Japan has become a magnet for global tourism in recent years. Shopping in the country feels like a steal for many foreign travelers, especially compared to in the US, where similar products are far more expensive. Jeff Yamazaki, an influencer from Los Angeles focused on men’s fashion, recently posted about where to find Onitsuka Tigers in Tokyo. In an interview, he says he paid about $95 for a pair of Mexico 66s when he visited Japan earlier this year. The same pair would have cost more than double that if ordered online and shipped to the US.
While inflation and the Trump administration’s tariffs have made many consumer products costlier in recent years, Onitsuka’s higher US prices are also a result of the brand closing its North American retail locations in 2023. At the time, Asics said the decision was made to improve profitability.
Now Onitsuka is eyeing an American return, as soon as 2027, according to an investor presentation this summer. Jessica Ramírez, co-founder of the Consumer Collective, a retail adviser, says the sneaker brand’s US hiatus has enabled it to become more of a luxury product. Onitsuka’s forthcoming collaboration with Versace and its presentation at Milan Fashion Week earlier this year also signal a move toward a higher price point on the international stage.
The recent rise in popularity of Adidas’ Samba and Gazelle styles, with their similarly low profiles and flat soles, helped Onitsuka Tigers take off, says Brendan Dunne, senior director of customer community and engagement at StockX, an online resale platform that primarily deals in footwear. Onitsuka is “catching the right moment of the trend when it comes to slim sneakers,” he says, adding that the brand offers consumers a less ubiquitous alternative to Adidas while also tapping into the Y2K nostalgia currently sweeping fashion.
Loulou Algosaibi, a social media manager in Winchester, England, who posted about her Onitsuka Tigers on TikTok in June, says she recently made the switch after five years of loyalty to Adidas. “They hit that sweet spot of timeless but cool, vintage and fresh,” she says of her Tokutens, which she bought at the brand’s flagship store in London on her father’s recommendation. “Gen Z could wear them, a millennial or my mom could wear them, and they would all look supercool.”
By Avalon Pernell
