The Delegation EX sneaker, a retro classic.
You might have seen Prince William recently wear a pair of sneakers that stood out—they are a pair of retro Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, their Mexico 66 pair, which takes its name from the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, where it was the official shoe for the Japanese national team.
These sneakers had cultural cache before royals were wearing them around London, though as Uma Thurman wore them in yellow in Kill Bill, and it was a popular go-to sneaker for club kids during the 1990s rave scene.
This sports-inspired fashion brand is offering a refreshing retro change to your typical minimalist streetwear. Onitsuka Tiger’s latest line of sneakers honors Japan’s contributions to the Olympics. And throughout the 1970s, this shoe brand became one of the top pairs of runners worn by athletes, and maintains a similar style as their original designs.
The Delegation EX sneaker by Onitsuka Tiger
Their latest line celebrates the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac, which kicked off in February of this year. While most of the new collection has tiger stripes, other pieces pay tribute to the brand's past as a key influencer in sneaker culture from the 1970s. Malaysian pop singer Hael Husaini as the country's first official local brand partner, too.
When the brand recently premiered the new line at Milan Fashion Week, they put the spotlight on their GSM SD Sneakers, which riffs on their classic design, just as GSM stands for the phrase “Game, Set, Match.” It’s a clever nod to 1980s tennis shoes, even though these shoes are built for everyday wear.
They also recently launched their Delegation Ex Sneakers, a modern take on the pair of sneakers that the Japanese team wore at an international sporting event in 1964. They’re not only solid sports shoes, but comfy walking shoes and retain their original design.
The brand started in 1949 when Japanese entrepreneur Kihachiro Onitsuka established Onitsuka Co., Ltd., the forerunner of sportswear brand ASICS. It started out with a commitment to promoting health for youth, and since then, the Onitsuka Tiger Stripes have become symbolic for an athletic brand.
Onitsuka has been called the original sneakerhead. Kenichi Harano, an executive officer with ASICS Institute of Sports Science recalls advice he got from the brand’s founding father: “I was told the word by Mr. Onitsuka saying that I should not be caught in common sense,” recalls Harano. “For example, all manufacturers have made the spikes on soccer shoes in cylindrical form, but I asked why do they have to be this cylindrical shape? These words later helped in developing innovative products.”
