Customer Reviews Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81®

After Saucony discontinued the Vegan Bullet shoes (I'm still very bitter), I decided to try these. They are fairly stylish but also fairly uncomfortable. It's not that they run small, but they have some sort of padding on the upper side of the toebox which made my toes feel cramped. I had to send them back.

I bought a pair of these shoes 2 years ago and they were great. I still wear them, but they're falling apart. I ordered a new pair, but unfortunately the manufacturer has changed the design. Now the shoes are too small and too narrow. The shoes used to be fairly true to size and width, but now I'd say they're about a half size smaller than listed, but also narrower as well. The pair of Onitsukas that I bought in 2013 was fairly roomy, but the 2015 version was so tight that my circulation was being cut off and the tips of my toes were rubbing on the end of the shoes' interior. I really liked my old pair of Tigers, but at this point I don't know if I'd even bother trying out a half-size up, I think that I'd be better off just looking for a new brand of shoes. This is extremely disappointing.

Cute shoe but not enough padding for someone on their feet all day on concrete floors. I purchased in both a 10.5 and 11, but neither fit very well: the 10.5 felt a bit short and the 11 was too wide, but still rubbed the top of my big toe which tends to curl upward.

I really wanted to like these shoes but they are the most uncomfortable sneakers I have ever owned. I bought them to wear for work because I am on my feet for 10+ hours and these were stylish had great reviews. The minute I put them on there was something weird about the way they rubbed on the top of my toes, as if there is a seam in the wrong place. I wore them anyway hoping they just needed to be broken in but unfortunately that was not the case. After 8 hours of being on my feet all day I started getting foot cramps and had to change into my old shoes. The next day the soles of my feet felt like they had been beaten with bamboo sticks. I've tried everything to make them bearable; different socks, insoles but nothing helps. Now I've worn them too many times to return and are stuck with a pair of shoes I wouldn't even donate to the needy. Don't waste your money.

I bought these for work where I'm walking 8+ hours in them. I liked the way they looked and I received compliments on them. They're very streamlined and not heavy or clunky feeling at all. As for fit and comfort, it personally did not work out for me. I have pretty narrow petite feet (size 6 womens) and the shoe still felt snug on the sides, the fabric on the toe box rubbed me the wrong way and always left my pinky toe numb. The sole is very hard with little cushion and very little shock absorption. I also have moderate to high arches and these shoes were not very supportive in that aspect. They left my feet in discomfort at the end of a long work day and my knees and ankles would ache afterwards. The durability was so so. I threw them out a little over half a year because there were holes where the big toe rubs and also the reflective heel cap had gotten scratched up. Mind that I wore them almost every day for a job where I'm on the move. Therefore I would recommend these shoes for those not wearing them for too many hours at a time or if you don't need to walk around very much in them. The design though is very stylish and attractive - I had gotten the black/coal combination.

All black with nylon cracked and tore on the top after only a few times wearing them. I love the way they look and try are very comfortable but I'm very disappointed with the quality! They look very cheap now and I can't figure out a way to fix it. :/

The part of the sole that wraps around to the front/top has started to peel after only a few months, making the shoes look worn and cheap even though the rest of the construction has held up. Too bad, I really liked how these shoes look but too short a life to justify the price.

Returning due to color discrepancy. The main body of the shoe is shown as white, but has a much more blue tint in person. Not what I was hoping for.

This is my 13th pair of the 81s. Within two weeks of wearing this pair, my toes have already ripped holes at the front seam of the shoe. This is completely unacceptable. Every pair before these have lasted several months. Zappos is wonderful, but the quality from Asics has dropped drastically. The shoes are comfortable as always and have perfect arch support, but now I have to look elsewhere.

These are poorly constructed. The logo on the back has already worn off (after a week) and have become more uncomfortable with each wear. There is absolutely no support. I would never by these again. Too bad because they look nice on.

I have about 4 pair of these in different colors but this particular shoe's color has an annoying baby blue insert that isn't seen in the pictures. You won't like it if you're looking for a neutral colored shoe as I already have these in base Yellow, base Green, and base Grey/Black.

These are the most uncomfortable athletic-style shoe I have ever worn. The soles are very firm (feel hard) and there is no padding or arch support. They are cute shoes but I will not buy again.

I have had several pairs of Onitsuka Tigers before and they all fit well and were very comfortable. These shoes were awful though, the shape is odd and the seaming gave me huge horrible blisters on the outside of my toes and tops of feet after wearing them one time. I have never had irritation in those areas from Onitsuka or any other brand of shoe and I do not see other complaints about it so maybe this pair was just poorly made? They are unwearable, it has been a week and a half and I am still covered in bandages. Since I wore the shoes for a day I cannot return then so I am pretty annoyed- a total waste of money. The arch support is nice and I liked the black on black color but otherwise the shoes did not work out for me. Hopefully they fit better for others.

These shoes started out fine, but soon wore down to a lumpy, uncomfortable, and damaging problem. The heels offer almost no shock absorption even though they claim to. I got used too it because they felt fine at first, but then when I got a new pair of shoes I realized how much of my foot pain was caused by these shoes. They may have actually permanently damaged my feet. I will never buy Asics again.

I've owned 5 different color scheme, and styles of Onitsuka Tiger's over the years and I loved them all, except this color combo. In person, they reminded me of orthopedic nurse shoes, perhaps because of the white sole, which really stands out. The materials also felt very plastic, much more than any other pair I've owned. They were returned.

These shoes look great but they are uncomfortable. After wearing it for a couple of hours the shoes cut the back of my left ankle and made it bleed. I was even wearing long socks with it!

Can't be too excited about these. I've had these in the past in suede/mesh uppers, and they were almost indestructible. However, the "black/birch" model with the canvas and leather uppers were worn for maybe a week before the rubber on the bend of the foot began to separate from the leather toe. What made it a bit more infuriating was the higher price of that model. A higher premium on a price should ensure a higher quality of construction than this. So I essentially paid a lot for an inferior version of a product that I'm normally pretty supportive of. The upside? They look(ed) pretty amazing and are remarkably comfortable before the sole decided to separate from the leather after a week of regular, day-to-day activities.

Stylish shoe but extremely uncomfortable. Over time this shoe just got more and more painful to wear. Which is surprising because I only ever hear about how comfortable they are. I finally just recently ripped out the current arch support and put in my own, hopefully that will make them more tolerable.

I love the look and comfort of these shoes. I have two pairs of Tigers. However, the materials that make up the outside of the shoe are too thin and don't last very long. My toe has worn through the top of both pairs in less than a years time of moderate wear. I am disappointed and think they should thicken this area. I'm surprised this hasn't happened to more people.

Uncomfortable and poorly made. I'm disappointed in these shoes. They're stylish but lack any support or comfort. I skipped returning them and gave them a chance thinking that they would break in and become more comfortable, but this was not the case. The rubber on the toe of each shoe started to detach after the first 2 weeks of wear. Now they collect dust in the corner of my closet.

The material on the color I purchased looks really cheap. I have had many pairs of this style and have loved every pair except these.

My son loved the look of these, but he has very flat feet. When he put the shoe on, he said the toe box felt very narrow. Also, the construction of the side of the shoe near the toe is a "curved edge" (look at the image of the front of the shoe). He said it felt very unstable, like he was going to roll his ankle. Too bad, but it's going back.

The shoe looks like the picture, but it runs small. It squeezes my foot, and I really can't wear it. After only one wearing I had blisters. I wish I could exchange it, but I did wear it on the street.

I've actually had the same shoe before, down to the same color. It was comfortable and lasted a long time, but all good things come to an end and they were dingy and worn. "So," I thought, "I can just order the same shoe and have perfection!" They then arrived the next day (yay vip!) and I put them in a suitcase and went to Seattle for a week. As I was walking around Seattle, I realized they hurt and got all blistered up. Unfortunately, the shoes were well past returnable. Oh and the lining is already falling apart. Quality is way down, avoid. :(

In my pair, there was a weird, shelf-like dip in the middle of the arch. Felt very unnatural. Returned them like a boss.