To date, this yellow Onitsuka Tiger, genuinely made in Japan, is the most expensive shoe I've ever had. It costs me $275.77!
It's a timeless design with it's journey that dates back to 1949 which is the post-WWII era. The owner Onitsuka Shōkai has started the Onitsuka Tiger shoe to uplift the morale of the Japanese people by giving them a shoe design that is meant for an active lifestyle and encouraging them to exercise. The sneaker design started as a shoe for the Japanese basketball team.
The sneaker evolved with its signature design that looks like the claw marks of a tiger.
I have chosen this iconic design which has a similar design to Bruce Lee's Bait shoes.
I think the contrast between yellow and black has a nice striking look to it. The choice of yellow hue also blends well with the off-white sole of the shoes.
While I was buying this shoe, the staff also mentioned that this is the design that closely resembles the shoe that was worn by Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill movie.
Although I haven't watched the movie, I know about it because it was popular before and everyone was talking about it.
Did I buy the shoe because of its popularity? Not really.
Is it a smart buy? Certainly not, lol.
A shoe of this price can get me 2 to 3 pairs of the regular Nike running shoes that are as comfortable of sturdy as this Onitsuka Tiger shoe. I guess it's the sentimental value of it that got me into buying this one. One thing that I truly value about this specific shoe that I bought is that it's Nippon-made.
There are Onitsuka Tiger factories that are outside of Japan and they produce a cheaper version of this shoe. Although they will appear to have the same look, with closer inspection and feel, there's a clear distinction between the Nippon-made compared to the ones made outside of Japan. Japanese shoemakers value quality over quantity. I learned that the Nippon factory only makes 90 pairs in a day because they are masterfully creating each pair and will go through a quality inspection under the critical eyes of the Japanese shoemakers.
I like this aspect of the Nippon-made Onitsuka Tiger shoe and it's a good enough reason for buying this pair. Cheers!
