Customer Reviews Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81®

I bought these for my husband. They are his second pair. He likes the style of them most of all. He is hard on his shoes, so the last pair only lasted about a year or so. That being said, they’re nice shoes that look good but perhaps aren’t very durable. Because of the lack of durability, they are a bit pricey. Regardless, I’m sure when these wear out, he will probably get another pair.

Spent a lot of time researching and unfortunately could not order the dark gray ones or black ones. Ordered these and whole they are gray they have a hint of mint/grey look which I'm not thrilled about but they do look pretty stylish

I own other Onitsuka Tiger styles and love them. This one looks better in photos than live. I believe the construction on this particular pair was off because there was too much pressure where the toes bend - but just on the right shoe. The left one was fine. This was the main cause for returning them. The overall fit was a bit larger than expected for my size. I will come back for other styles. Great shoe, great company, see you again soon!

I was looking for a light, low profile sneaker that would give me full support during my commute. I loved the look on-line, but it didn't translate into the real thing. It was not as low profile as I was hoping, compared to NB520, and it was much stiffer than I expected.

I was so excited for these and I love the look of these shoes. However, when I actually wore them they were horribly uncomfortable. I am not sure if I ended up with a bad pair, but on one shoe where the tongue of the shoe meets the shoe there was extra fabric that put a lot of pressure on the top of my foot. I wore them for one shift as server and could barely walk at the end of it. Returned and unfortunately not going to purchase again.

It's a very nice looking sneaker. The pure white color is what I've been searching for; unfortunately I have to return them. This particular shoe is sized for both men and women. My size for that combination is a 9.5 for women. The front of the shoe is way too roomy for my foot. My toe is right at the end but the toe box does not fit anywhere close to the top of my foot. For someone with a larger and wider foot, this is good. Too, even when I placed a small heel lift under my heel due to problems in that area, the back of the shoe still came up too far onto the back of my foot.

Well constructed shoe. I tried the white/white version. It just didn't look good on me. A bit dorky. Also the footbed is pretty hard. Too hard for me. This isn't a soft comfy sneaker. The width was good though and I have wide feet. I was just looking for something for work on casual days. I went with some Keds Studio instead.

I'm such a fan of the Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81. I've owned 7 or 8 pairs—they've been my go-to shoe for years now. I have strange feet, so it's hard to find shoes that fit properly—but 81s have always fit wonderfully and been very comfortable. And it's a bonus that it comes in so many colors. But—there's something up with this particular pair. One of my old pairs had worn out, so it was time to replace. I really loved the Dark Grey/Glacier Grey color and ordered through Zappos. But this shoe definitely fits differently than my other pairs. I checked and it's clearly the same size, but the sole is somehow stiffer and harder. I figured maybe it just needed breaking in and have tried it repeatedly over the past 6 months or so, but no luck. It's borderline unwearable. I'm sad to give this historically amazing shoe such a low rating. I hope this is a fluke of this particular color or something like that. I'd hate to lose my go-to shoe!

Very narrow, no padding, thin and minimal. I did not find them comfortable at all.

I've owned at least 10 pairs of Ultimate 81's, they are my all time favorite shoes, so I never imagined they wouldn't fit right. However, the leather white ones are so narrow I can't wear them. I tried stretching them out and lacing them differently for a looser fit, but the toes are so narrow they quickly become uncomfortable. I've had the white ones in the past and they fit fine. I even ordered another pair, thinking it was a fluke, and the 2nd white pair was too narrow as well. I guess you can't depend on the same shoe fitting the same over the years :(

These look great on! I fluxuate between a 6.5 and 7. I bought the 7 and they were smaller than I expected. I returned as I didn't find them comfortable at all, both in the hard outer structure and the footbed that offers zero support. Ten years ago I'd have kept them for the style but now I'm all about the comfort!

Comfortable, with a deep heel cup, though wide in the toe box on one foot (YMMV). Sole did not wear as quickly as expected. Got six months of daily wear before I considered replacing them due to sole wear

This is a woman's shoe. I know it's unisex, and looks are not the issue. It is simply not made for a man, or perhaps anyone, over 175 lbs. to walk around in. moreover, it has a narrow fit to it that made my feet feel like they were going over both sides of the shoe. I wore it for about a month before giving to a needy friend. I know there is probably some type of Zappos return policy that would've covered it, but that's not my style. I put too much wear on it.

Compared to Asics 81s that I have had over the years, these are pretty hot - due to lots of padding in front. Perhaps this is a recent change across all colors. It is not one that I am enjoying.

I love Ultimate 81s; I have actually owned several pairs, but these particular ones (shinier leather) did not fit like the others. They were so stiff they actually squeaked, the heel came up too high on my ankle, and while the width was fine, they were about a half size too long, so they are going back.

I was disappointed to discover that these shoes do in fact run small, at least for someone who wears an 8.5 men's. Due to the small fit I won't be able to wear them. I also discovered that the soles lack adequate cushioning for jogging, which is the purpose I had in mind. The arch is also higher than I would like. I will attempt a refund.

I love these shoes but they are really shoddily built. The front glue is coming off the sole as we speak and I may have to return exchange them (2nd pair to have this defect). They also have no arch support if you need that kind of thing. That being said, they are very light and very quiet while walking which I like. Ninja mode.

For someone ordering smaller sizes this is not comfortable the material where the shoe bends where the shoe strings are, digs into your toe area (the part where your toes starts) I found it painful and sadly not willing to keep for the price paid.

I love these shoes, especially the way that they look; however, I purchased a pair of Ultimate 81's in April 2015 and now, it's August 2015, and the soles are already worn slick, the heel and ball areas of the innersole are worn through, most seams are straying, and the sole won't stick to the toe of the shoe. All in all my 4 month old pair of shoes look like I've been wearing them for a year or more. I guess the quality has just gone downhill because my older pairs lasted forever. Heed warning and find these cheap as possible because they're worth less a pair at most.

First shoes that I have ever ordered online. I was looking for a comfortable low profile sneaker to that I could do a lot of walking in around town. These shoes are just ok. The toe area seems a bit too wide which causes my toes to spread out which is actually a little uncomfortable in a shoe. They aren't quite as attractive as I thought they looked in the picture.

This is a great looking shoe that if I was 30 years younger would buy in a second. Unfortunately I have fallen arches so I have to return them.

They don't fit like the other Ultimate 81 models but I think it's because of the material on the front. They fit okay, though I wish Zappos would have the all black with the gum bottoms available. I can't find them anywhere.

I really wanted to rate this shoe 5 stars. It looks and feels great, but it stinks! Or maybe it's just that I stink!? I basically just wear it to work where I'm sitting behind a desk most of the day, and within my first couple of weeks wearing it a nasty odor has developed. Again, maybe it is me and not the shoe...but I've got several other athletic, dress, casual, soccer, hiking, etc shoes and this is the only one I've got this issue with. It's disappointing as I otherwise do love the shoe.

The Ultimate 81s are constantly being revised and reinvented, and the ones currently available have soles as hard as a rock. They're rigid and inflexible compared to older iterations of this shoe, and I'm definitely not into it. The flexible sole of the original design was a huge part of the draw for me, as well as one of the reasons I bought them consistently for so many years. I've been rather annoyed with the constantly changing design in recent years, as I never know what I'm going to get when I buy a new pair. The ones that are being manufactured right now have a different interior than the old ones, including a fabric-and-padding insole (it's basically the same insole you'll find on a modern running shoe) in place of the perforated EVA/foam insole of past years. I reckon this could be a reason for the flexibility issue. The aesthetic appeal has been compromised too, as the silhouette of the shoe has changed (it's somewhat rounder, less sleek, and lacks the shape that had always made them distinctive). I probably won't be buying any more pairs after my current (new) pair, as the structural changes have made them increasingly less comfortable and less wearable aesthetically.

These shoes have amazing potential be unfortunately fall short. The white material on the top of the foot is a weird material and it looks blue in person. It's devastating and ruined the shoe for me. They also run about a 1/2 size small