Familiarity breeds contemporary with Onitsuka Tiger’s latest shoe-drops.
The raison d’être of Onitsuka Tiger is its timeless convergence of Japanese cultural heritage and its contemporary reimagination of shoe styles that it brings to the world of footwear. The marvels of Japanese engineering and their unique grasp of ergonomics is a feature that cannot be denied, no matter how many times the brand chooses to self-reference or reconceptualize older models. In fact, it goes both ways — where the brand continues to stick true to its roots, consistently engendering shoes that merge sportswear and fashion, it also establishes itself as an unwavering force in the footwear industry — reliable and relevant as ever.
Regardless, it’s an exciting time for the Onitsuka Tiger loyalist. The brand has launched a new line of running-style shoes, a new platform, and a new boot style in a triple-shoe-drop that hits its mark across the sportswear-to-fashion board.
The RUNGER and RUNGER MT are an ode to the union of sports and style that Onitsuka Tiger does so brilliantly.
Unveiling a new running-style shoe and high-cut sneaker under the combined RUNGER title, both versions boast meticulous attention to detail in their comfort-forward design. Forgoing its trademark 4-stripes in favour of a more discrete bold-block Onitsuka Tiger logo, the brand lets the shoe’s design do the talking instead.
All at once an ultra-modern take on the chunky running shoe — both iterations sport a hollow middle sole, a combination of mesh and synthetic suede on the exterior and GEL™ in both the front and heel of its sole. Considering the RUNGER MT individually, its high-cut form evokes an almost combat-ian-esque boot look to the shoe that lends itself to the idea of stability that the brand proudly fronts.
The RUNGER comes in three base variations, white, black and desert camp. The RUNGER MT in two, glacier-grey and black.
And in a prime example of the brand’s ability to find inspiration and then find it again — the MOLLETY fronts the classic Onitsuka Tiger thin-soled design in a platformed reenvision.
Right out of the books of their classic slender-silhouette MEXICO 66, with which loyalists are undoubtedly familiar, the brand incorporates the TPU heel from the prior into the MOLLETY to afford a plush cushioning effect. Greater comfort is always a welcome addition, especially when the addition has been tried and tested in another beloved shoe.
The MOLLETY comes in two variations, graphite-grey/salmon and white/green fig.
In another reimagination of a popular Onitsuka Tiger shoe, the DELECITY BOOT boasts a simple premise. The best parts of the original DELECITY are retained in the evolution, still sporting the recognizable rigged rubber soles and an upper and lower shoe style inspired by the brand’s own basketball shoes from the 1980s and 1950s respectively. The biggest difference — it now takes on the silhouette of a utilitarian boot.
Grounded in a sturdy build, the 9-hole style of the DELECITY BOOT is a reconceptualization that is purposeful and stylized while offering the necessary edge that all boots ought to have.
The DELECITY BOOT is available in white and black at Onitsuka Tiger boutiques and online.
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