Onitsuka Tigers

There are two kinds of clothing shopping that I generally find fun: T-shirt shopping and sneaker shopping.

Yesterday I got to go sneaker shop and as usual, the hardest part was picking a shoe.

When it comes to sneakers, I always buy Onitsuka Tigers. I’ve been wearing them for about five years now and I guess they’ve become a sort of signature thing for me.

I love them because they are comfortable and they look great. They are sleek but not too sleek or sporty-looking. And I really like the weight of them, as weird as that sounds. Because I wear these shoes on nearly a daily basis, I want a shoe that’s not too heavy but also has enough weight that it feels like I’m wearing a proper shoe.

The only downside I’ve found with Tigers is that the quality isn’t amazing. Now, to be fair, I do wear these a lot and I am hard on shoes so you’d probably get more life out of a pair then I do. But I find that these shoes generally show visible wear (including issues with the sole) within 10-12 months of purchasing.

Still, they look and feel good enough that I’m willing to over look that flaw. Plus it means that I get to buy another pair and with so many great designs and colour combos, there’s always another pair I want.

The first photo in this entry is a shot of the pair I just bought. It’s a different style than usual but when I saw it I knew I had to have it. The second image is the more “classic” Tiger style though it’s available in dozens of different colours.

I buy my Tigers at Groovy, located at 323 Queen St. W. It generally charges $90-$130 for a pair though some are a bit pricier. But if you’re ever in New York City, stop by Shoe Zone near Union Square. It sells some of the more basic Tiger shoes for $50 (clothes are so cheap in the States).

Would I buy this again: No doubt
Should you buy it:  If you like this style of sneakers, then yes