In Thick Velvet, Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66 Is a True Textural Treat
Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66 sneaker has long been the undersung alternative to adidas' Samba but with Samba fatigue surely about to set in any day now (surely), perhaps it's time that it stepped into the spotlight. And what better way to do so than dressed in pure velvet?
Yes, the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 has received a handsome facelift by way of a textural velvet upper that extends from the heel to the very toebox of the famously flat shoe.
Offered in either glossy brown or simple grey, the velvet Mexico 66 is impressively plush.
Its velvet uppers are surprisingly thick and furry, suggesting that this is more likely velour (pure synthetic) rather than true velvet but who cares?! So long as it doesn't shred or stain all that easily, so much the better.
These things look, frankly, quite incredible, all soft fur and shiny tones.
There's likely no better daily driver than the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, save for perhaps adidas' most popular sneaker.
Onitsuka Tiger's signature shoe feels like more of a cult classic, though, perhaps because of its appearances in films like Kill Bill and its unassuming profile. This is one low-profile sneaker! It's even flatter than the Samba.
But with a whole host of post-Samba alternatives in the mix — including at least four from adidas: the Country, the SL72, the Tobacco, and, of course, the very Onitsuka Tiger-flavored adidas Japan — the Onitsuka Tiger is standing strong as an all-time alternative.
The only annoying thing is that it's prices are getting kinda crazy.
Whereas Onitsuka Tiger probably once offered an abundance of under-$100 shoes, the velvet Mexico 66 is only available on Onitsuka Tiger's international websites for €230 (about $250), which makes them about $100 more than a normal Mexico 66 on Onitsuka Tiger's American web store (side note: how weird are these web stores?).
