If you were waiting for just the right time to hop on the Onitsuka Tiger train, this might be it. The sneaker company’s Mexico 66 silhouette has been on the cutting edge of the post-Samba sneaker trend all year and this new iteration of the Mexico 66 shoes might be the nicest yet.
Onitsuka Tiger’s new shoe, the Mexico 66 SD nylon, upgrades the classic silhouette with grayish and cream mesh, accented with 3D suede. The overall effect is one of heightened elegance , making the sneaker feel sleeker (and more breathable) than the leather uppers of the original Mexico 66 sneaker.
These most recent ones have eye-catching details, too, like the sole’s exposed foam and the extra weight added to the Onitsuka Tiger stripes on either side. Even the small touches, like the the sandy brown toe on the gray pair, do a lot to make the sneakers feel that much more sophisticated.
They’re still as sporty as the OG Mexico 66 but the Mexico 66 SD nylon definitely have the look of a “dress up” sneaker, with their clean uppers, tapered toeboxes, and super thin soles.
Part of the Mexico 66 SD nylon's charm is its more urbane appearance, underscored by its relative exclusivity, despite the sneaker silhouette's overwhelming dominance on TikTok and, as such, in the shopping habits of young consumers.
Thanks to a quirk in Onitsuka Tiger's sales dealings, the footwear brand has no American web store, but you can buy the new Mexico 66 SD nylon on Onitsuka Tiger's UK website and at sneaker boutiques around the world (in due time).
These sneakers make for a fashionable update to the classic Mexico 66, which was initially designed as a running shoe for the 1968 Olympic pre-trials, Onitsuka Tiger's early stab at creating a signature silhouette.
Decades later, the first sneaker to flaunt those tiger stripes has accomplished just that, as pairs of the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 are suddenly everywhere thanks to a new generation of fans TikTok-savvy fans.
The brand’s signature shoes have evolved since then, though this new Mexico 66 silhouette is good evidence that the kicks’ core shape just gets better and better looking with time.
Especially with the newfound support from Gen-Z (and slightly older) shoppers around the globe, the Mexico 66 was due for a stylish facelift and the nylon SD is just what the sneaker doctor ordered.
Now, Onitsuka Tiger just has to make its sneakers more available online and it'll really be cooking.
