Stepping Up

Onitsuka Tiger is no longer just for the off-duty style. The Japanese label taps into the dapper crowd with The Onitsuka, a line of dress shoes that puts an exciting twist on classic formal footwear

To most people, Onitsuka Tiger is a fashion brand built on streetwear cool and Hollywood legends. The streamlined and striped Mexico 66 sneakers, once sported by cinema’s martial arts master Bruce Lee in his incomplete film, Game of Death, are arguably the most emblematic style from the Japanese label, especially on TikTok, where a new generation of Onitsuka Tiger fans are hailing it as the latest fashion trend.

Trendy is certainly Onitsuka Tiger’s domain, but so is timeless. That much is clear from The Onitsuka, its dress line that offers modern interpretations of classic men’s footwear styles—or, as the brand calls them, “new formal” shoes.

Like Onitsuka Tiger’s Nippon Made collection, The Onitsuka line is handcrafted in Japan. Besides honouring the brand’s roots, the provenance points to a commitment to exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Each pair of shoes is constructed with leather sourced from Himeji, a town located about an hour away by car from Kobe in the Hyōgo prefecture. The region has a reputation for producing some of the finest leathers in Japan, which are sought after by French luxury brands.