You may not know this, but I have been wanting to own my very first pair of Onitsuka Tiger since 2013! Yes it has been such a long time.
So what happened? Why wasn’t I able to get a pair back then?
I clearly remember what occurred at that time. I was at Mall of Asia back in 2013 and I was trying on different pairs from their newly opened store and NONE would fit me.
I am a size 12 and they don’t carry that size back in 2013 here in the Philippines. Even a size 11 didn’t fit me.
And so, I lost my interest.
It took me more than 11 years, a wife, two kids plus a trip to Japan to finally get my own pair!
FINALLY.
And I love every bit of it.
So how was I able to get one?
Last May 2024, it was my first time in Japan. I went there with my wife and kids for a vacation and I finally understood what the hype was all about – Japan is such a beautiful country with so many places to see, delicious food to eat and a plethora of shopping choices. I didn’t want to leave – but that is a separate story altogether.
At last, I finally got a size 12 of the classic Onitsuka Tiger shoes.
I made sure that Onitsuka Tiger was in our itinerary because I knew that since the brand originated in Japan, it should have my size right?
And yes indeed!
It’s very comfortable to wear – it’s like my all around shoe and I find myself picking it up every time during weekends and casual hangouts.
I may be late to the party, but as my first pair it truly is worth the wait. Heck, I even influenced my wife to buy her own too which I ended up buying for her because it was Mother’s Day! What goes around, comes around, eh?
I bought this in Japan for about 5,000 Pesos (tax free as a tourist) but here in Manila they sell these shoes at about 7K to 9K Pesos (and they don’t even have my size! At least the last time I asked).
So does this mean that I have to travel to Japan if I want to buy another pair? I hope not. Or maybe it’s just an excuse for me to book my next trip to Japan because I SOOOOO LOVE that place. We will surely be back.
