COMFORT, COLOUR, COORDINATION:

What Fabrics Will you find in the Onitsuka Tiger range?

Japan is known for innovation, creativity and design across many industries. This is particularly true of textiles, as Japanese fabrics have developed into some of the most sought-after material for garments all over the world. This premium quality and peerless construction has helped to elevate clothing and footwear for many designers. That’s why you’ll find such fabrics within the collections of Onitsuka Tiger, as we continue to innovate and develop our range.

WHAT IS JAPANESE DENIM?

Denim has been around for over 100 years, firstly used as purely functional clothing then evolving as an essential fabric in fashion. Japanese denim, however, was developed much later but has become world-renowned for the legacy of how it’s made, from the uniqueness of the weaving practices to the use of traditional dying processes. Following the rise in popularity of jeans in the 1950s, and a desire for American fashion, the Karuba Mills of Kojima began producing Japanese jeans to meet this need. Early Japanese jeans were produced on looms made by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, which later became Toyota. These old shuttle looms have a legacy that dates back to the 1920s. they were used to make deliver an improved level of consistency in fabric production, reducing unevenness for better results. However, It wouldn’t be until 1972 that Karuba would produce its own selvedge denim, which makes Japanese denim stand out from the crowd. It can also be found in our Japanese denim shoes and clothing. What is selvedge denim? Selvedge gets its name from, literally, ‘self edge’. When creating selvedge denim fabric, both edges have a tight, dense weave that can make the material tougher and less likely to unravel. Because of the way it’s produced no two pieces of selvedge denim are exactly the same, creating a truly original garment for the wearer. Add to this, the complex indigo dying process, which takes time, patience and skill, and the result is unique denim in the truest sense of the word.

ONITSUKA TIGER FABRICS: QUALITY MEETS INNOVATION

With such a rich history of textile production in Japan, as we’ve seen with the development of Japanese denim, it would come as no surprise that Onitsuka Tiger’s own range of shoes and clothing integrate exceptional quality materials. We know you’re looking something special from Onitsuka Tiger, so contemporary, quality fabrics are here add a new dimension to our popular lines - add even more excitement to your wardrobe.

Alongside its pleasing stripes and preppy look, we’ve introduced the exciting Seersucker fabric to our MEXICO 66 Paraty line. The candy stripe colours and elegant ridges of seersucker takes MEXICO 66 into a stylish new direction. Originally designed for hot weather, the fabric of our seersucker shoes is perfect for heat and humidity, blending light, comfortable material with vibrant colourways. The word ‘seersucker’ means ‘milk and sugar’ coming from the Hindi words of Persian origin ‘shîr’ and ‘shakar’. Because of the way it’s made, it has a natural wrinkle to the material, which gives a relaxed, unfussy look.

Speaking of colour, immerse yourself in the richness of our Sakura Dye fabric trainers. Imbued with real Japanese cherry blossom, we’ve used a Japanese process called Botanical Dye technology. This delivers stunning colour fastness that makes the most out of our eco-friendly organic cotton upper. Next? KONBU.

A hardwearing upper that is also lightweight. Add to that the durability of nylon but a look of canvas, and you get KONBU fabric. Thanks to a special heat shrink treatment by Japan’s Komatsu-Matere, we can achieve all of this in our collection. Admit it, you’re curious about our KONBU shoes.

This is just a taste of all the new and exciting fabrics coming your way soon. Together they bring Onitsuka Tiger’s desire to produce smart and elegant designs to deliver intriguing and innovative choices for you.

COMING SOON