A sneaker that’s simply as fashionable as it’s snug—and versatile sufficient to go together with virtually something in your closet—is a wardrobe holy grail. We’ve heard loads of people swear that the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, beforehand a choose in our information to the greatest white sneakers—sadly, the corporate shut down its U.S. operations in November 2023—is that very shoe. However can one silhouette really do all of it?
I wore Mexico 66s each day for per week, logging almost 20 miles strolling round New York Metropolis. My verdict: The hype is actual. These sneakers are immediately cozy, ultra-flattering, and the sort of trend-proof workhorses that can earn a spot in my regular rotation for years to come back. Listed below are three explanation why I’ve joined their legions of followers.
They’re cozy from day one.
In contrast to many of the different sneakers in my closet, my Mexico 66s didn’t require a break-in interval. With their pliable leather-based uppers and skinny, versatile soles, they have been snug proper out of the field. (I ordered them in my standard dimension, and so they match completely. They arrive in normal males’s and girls’s sizes, however in the event you’re uncertain about what dimension to order, the Onitsuka web site has a dimension information with measuring pointers.)
In truth, Mexico 66s have such a light-weight construct you could bend your entire shoe with out a lot effort, and so they simply flex with the foot’s pure actions. But they’re remarkably sturdy: A Wirecutter senior editor confirmed that she’s continued to repeatedly put on a pair she bought in 2020, and so they’re nonetheless going sturdy.
To check Mexico 66s for this story, I wore them each day for per week, strolling about 20 miles as I bounced between faculty pick-ups, canine walks, and dinner dates. All of the whereas, my ft remained cool, supported, and blister-free. My expertise wasn’t distinctive: The testers for our information to white sneakers additionally gave the Mexico 66s excessive marks, praising their prompt consolation and softness, and noting the absence of any pinching or digging into the pores and skin. One panelist even mentioned she forgot she had them on.
These sneakers have an uncommon, perforated insole, which makes them extra breathable. To allow them to be worn with or with out socks. I desire to slide my ft into the Mexico 66s—that’s proper, no each day lacing required, because of the big, pull-on again tabs. And I exploit an ultra-light, no-show sock, just like the pair from Stance we advocate in our information to the most effective no-show socks. However in hotter climate, I’m grateful for the choice of going sockless. (In case you do go sans socks, the sneakers’ again tabs, in addition to their frivolously padded tongues, will assist stop rubbing or chafing and preserve blisters at bay.)
Mexico 66s have frivolously cushioned, contoured footbeds and molded arches. I used to be shocked that such skinny, light-weight sneakers might really feel so steady and supportive—I discovered them cozy to put on even for lively eight-hour stretches.
They’re universally flattering and go together with every little thing.
Beloved by modern people of various ages and aesthetics, Mexico 66s are true model chameleons. They’re able to crossing that (usually untraversed) area between athletic sneakers and ballet flats, in order that they really feel at dwelling in many various contexts.
The sneakers’ tapered form creates a flattering, slim profile. “They’re excellent for my slender ft,” famous one Wirecutter senior editor. They may also be a very interesting choice for individuals with bigger ft, since they don’t add any extra bulk. They usually have the seemingly magical skill to play good with nearly any clothes silhouette.
To place this to the check, I wore my Mexico 66s with each sort of ensemble possible. They appeared nice with all the pants I attempted: cuffed straight denims and cropped flares (informal and funky), cigarette pants (Audrey Hepburn with a gymnasium membership), pooling palazzos (intimidatingly stylish), and, after all, leggings (a no brainer). Paired with shorts or a miniskirt, they have been enjoyable and sporty, however nonetheless gamine. With flowy attire and skirts, they added a relaxed ease.
If you need most versatility, you possibly can’t go unsuitable with the traditional white-on-white model of the Mexico 66s. However they’re out there in dozens of different colour choices to swimsuit a spread of tastes and seasons.
Probably the most recognizable combo, after all, is the Bruce Lee– and Beatrix Kiddo–authorized yellow and black model (matching jumpsuit and sword are elective). I selected a white pair with pink and blue stripes, leaning into the shoe’s sporty heritage—I’m not very athletic, however I do take pleasure in dressing prefer it’s the Fourth of July. And I’ve bought my eye on a slew of spring-, summer-, and fall-appropriate colorways, for almost year-round put on; sadly, I don’t assume these sneakers are lower out for a New York Metropolis winter.
They’re iconic and timeless.
With their sporty styling and lithe form, Mexico 66s really feel each winningly retro and perpetually present; if you put money into them, you possibly can really feel assured of their endurance. The slender leather-based sneakers have been initially created in Japan as trainers for athletes, debuting on the 1966 Olympic pre-trials in Mexico Metropolis (therefore, the “Mexico 66” moniker).
They have been the primary sneakers to function the signature tiger-stripe design: two elegant horizontal swells working alongside either side of the physique, crossed by a pair of vertical stripes that combine into the lacing, enhancing match and stability. (To at the present time, these stripes seem on virtually each shoe from Onitsuka and its dad or mum firm, ASICS.)
The distinctive design was elevated to icon standing in 1978, when a pair of yellow-and-black tiger-striped Onitsukas (in the same model to Mexico 66s) have been worn by martial arts star Bruce Lee in his remaining, posthumously launched movie Recreation of Demise. In 2003, the model kung-fu-kicked its manner into a brand new era’s pop-culture consciousness, showing on Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo character within the film Kill Invoice: Quantity 1. (Those she wears are sometimes mistaken for Mexico 66s as a result of they’re so similar-looking, however they have been really Onitsuka Tai Chis, a sleeker, pricier mannequin.)
In additional-recent years, Onitsukas proceed to really feel recent and related. Mexico 66s have been noticed on the ft of scores of celebrities and influencers, together with mannequin Bella Hadid and actor Emma Watson—to not point out on the (decidedly less-famous) ft of quite a few enthusiastic Wirecutter staffers.
This text was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Jennifer Hunter.
