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| Type | Sneakers |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Onitsuka Tiger |
| Inception | 1966 |
| Manufacturer | Onitsuka Tiger |
| Available | Yes |
| Website | onitsukatiger.com |
Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 is a line of shoes released by Onitsuka Tiger in 1966. The shoe was first developed to be used by athletes for the 1968 Summer Olympics. This is the first shoe to use the trademark stripes that would be featured in Onitsuka Tiger and Asics shoes. [1]
The origins of the shoe can be traced back to Onitsuka Tiger wanting to develop a flagship shoe to strengthen the company's brand. It did not have a well known shoe that could compete and help represent the company like some of its competitors from Adidas or Puma. [2] It released the shoe two years before the Olympics in order to build buzz and the success of the athletes in competitions led to more athletes and even the Japanese national team using the shoes during the games.
The shoe became popular after its use in the Bruce Lee film, Game of Death , where he wore a yellow and black pair. The popularity of the film led to the shoe becoming popular outside of the running world and enter the mainstream market. The shoe would see a second boost in popularity with the release of Kill Bill: Volume 1 where the main character wore them as an homage to Bruce Lee's original film. [3]
The early 2020s saw the shoe be cemented as a staple of sneaker culture with many celebrities and young consumers buying the shoes for its unique silhouette and fashionable colors. The resurgence of the shoe has helped Onitsuka Tiger and Asics compete with companies like Nike and Adidas in the lifestyle market. [4]
Converse is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes, and licenses footwear, apparel, and accessories. Founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, it has been acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003.
Adidas AG is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Nike. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which also owns an 8.33% stake of the football club Bayern München, and Runtastic, an Austrian fitness technology company. Adidas's revenue for 2018 was listed at €21.915 billion.
Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.
Asics is a Japanese multinational corporation that produces sportswear. The name is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano. Asics is best known for its sneakers, but also produces other footwear such as sandals, as well as clothing and accessories. It is headquartered in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under the Jordan Brand.
The Swoosh is the logo of American sportswear designer and retailer Nike. Today, it has become one of the most recognizable brand logos in the world, and the most valuable, having a worth of $26 billion alone.
Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars are sneakers manufactured by American fashion brand Converse. Initially developed as a basketball shoe in the early 20th century, its design has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. The shoe consists of a stitched upper portion, and a toe cap and outsole usually made of rubber. Although Chuck Taylors are made of various materials such as leather or suede, the original and most widely known version is made from cotton canvas. The innovative detail of the original shoe was the "loose lining" of soft canvas that was intended to provide flexibility and prevent blisters.
Salomon SAS is a French sports equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Annecy, France. It was founded in 1947 by François Salomon in the heart of the French Alps and is a major brand in outdoor sports equipment. Salomon is owned by Finnish retail conglomerate Amer Sports, along with Wilson, Atomic, Precor, and Arc'teryx, among others.
Nike Shox is a support system feature in several of Nike's flagship sneakers, first released in 2000. The design is an arrangement of primarily polyurethane hollow columns in the midsole supporting the shoe's heel. Most models include four circular columns in a square formation to provide stability. Later variations sometimes added additional columns, or changed to triangular or rectangular formations.
LA Gear is an American shoe company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1983, it is currently part of Frasers Group brands.
KangaROOS is an American brand of sneaker originally produced from 1979 through the 1980s, with a later revival that continues in present. They were notable for having a small zippered pocket on the side of the shoe, large enough for a small amount of loose change, keys, etc.
Reebok International Limited is an American fitness footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had been founded in 1895 in Bolton, Lancashire. From 1958 until 1986, the brand featured the flag of the United Kingdom in its logo to signify the origins of the company. It was bought by German sporting goods company Adidas in 2005, then sold to the United States-based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. The company's global headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts, in the Seaport District.
The Superstar is a style of low-top athletic shoe which has been manufactured by the German multinational company Adidas since 1969. Originally released as a low-top version of the Pro Model basketball shoe, the design is nicknamed the "shell toe", "shell shoe", and "shell top" due to its rubber shell toe cap.
Sneaker collecting is the acquisition and trading of sneakers as a hobby. It is often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding. A person involved in sneaker collecting is sometimes called a sneakerhead.
Onitsuka Tiger is a Japanese sports fashion brand started in 1949 by Onitsuka Shōkai, a sports shoes company founded by Kihachiro Onitsuka. Onitsuka Shōkai changed its name to Onitsuka Co., Ltd. before becoming Asics Corporation in 1977. Since 1977, Onitsuka Tiger has been sold as a lifestyle brand of Asics.
Nike, Inc. is an American athletic footwear and apparel corporation headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, United States. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$46 billion in its fiscal year 2022.
Karhu is a Finnish sports equipment company, focused on running. Originally established as "Oy Urheilutarpeita" in 1916, it was renamed "Karhu" four years later. Karhu's line of products includes sneakers, t-shirts and jackets. In past years, Karhu also manufactured skis. In 2008, the company was sold to a group of investors organised under "Karhu Holding B.V.".
The Nike Cortez is the first track shoe released by Nike in 1972, and is therefore thought to be a significant aspect to the success of the company. The Nike Cortez was first designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, aiming to produce a comfortable and durable running shoe for distance training and road running. The Nike Cortez was released at the peak of the 1972 Summer Olympics, and quickly gained interest by the general public. The shoe previously known as the Onitsuka Tiger Cortez was later renamed to the Onitsuka Tiger Corsair after Nike won a court battle to continue using name in 1974.
Adidas Forum is a line of shoes released by Adidas in 1984. The shoe was originally released as a basketball shoe and was the first shoe by the company to be offered in a low model.
Onitsuka Tiger Corsair is a shoe that was designed under Onitsuka Tiger and released in 1968. The Onitsuka Tiger Corsair was first designed by Bill Bowerman while still in a partnership agreement with Onitsuka Tiger. Shortly after its release, Bill Bowerman decided to part ways with the company and focus on developing original shoes for their own company, Nike, which led to them releasing their own version of the same shoe called the Nike Cortez.
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