Customer Reviews Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81®

I really like the style and color of these (I got the midnight blue). It's hard to find shoes that fit womyn's feet that also come in likable colors. To be honest, the fit is strange, and I had a hard time choosing what size to keep. I ordered my usual size, but they felt very snug. Although there was adequate room in front of my big toe, my pinky toes were squished and I felt that I'd be uncomfortable wearing them all day. So I went ahead and ordered a half size up to compare. I ended up liking the larger size better. You can see in the photo I've attached that there is a lot of room in front of my big toe, which may suggest these are too big. However, with all the padding inside the shoe, and considering the room I have for the width of all my toes together in this larger size, the slightly roomy front is acceptable in order for the rest of the shoe to fit well. I don't usually have a problem with shoe widths, but I think the narrowness of this shoe necessitated the larger, roomier size. If you're unsure or you have a wide foot for sure (mine are average width), perhaps order your size and a half size up so you can compare them and return the ones that don't fit. Had I known, I would've done that in the first place rather than having to place a second order later in order to make the comparison. The reason I liked these shoes so much, in addition to the color, is the materials. Always buy animal-free!

The style is great and the blue color is super saturated and vivid. I am a woman and struggle to find shoes wide enough in the toe box. You would think at least athletic shoes would avoid the idealized pointed narrow toe, but frequently not the case! These are actually wide enough in the toe to give wiggle room. The biggest down side is the lack of cushioning. I added a heel insert which helps a lot, but you cannot remove the original insole so your options are limited. Fun for fashion or running errands around town, but definitely not for athletic endeavors.

Love the shoe. Light weight, simple styling. This is my fourth pair. I wear them for about a year per pair, almost every day. They look good for about 6 months of daily wear and then the gum sole starts to pull away at the toes. It’s not super noticeable, and I continue to wear them for another few months until they start to look bad. I love a lot of things about the shoe, wish they held up a bit longer though.

I loved these shoes so much! Through two pairs they have been really cute and comfortable. There are 2 major things I don’t like about them 1: they are not exceptionally durable (but reasonably so); and 2: my newer pair squeaks when I walk. Also note: I’ve had to move on from this style (even though I love it) because the toe box is too narrow. I need a fairly wide toe box so this may not be an issue for most.

I have been wearing the same shoe for 8+ years and was ready for a new pair so I ordered again- I am usually a women's 8.5 and have always worn that size in this particular shoe, but when they arrived they were VERY snug and too narrow.... guessing they are being made somewhere else? I ordered a 1/2 size up and the fit is better, a little too big now... but I will add some insoles and call it a day. Returning the smaller size and will hope that next time I order they will fit better. I love the look and comfort of these shoes and I was really upset that the fit has changed :(

They look nice and that's about as far as it goes. Overall poor value but fine to make an outfit.

Love the look, very light shoe. Loved it until after two hikes the inside heels have worn completely away leaving holes on the inside of the shoes and blisters on both my heels. They are garbage now.

Looks great but some quality issues... I used to love these shoes and am on my third pair now. They're comfortable enough for moderate-distance walking around town though they don't offer any arch support at all. ("Arch support" to me means there will be a noticeable mound of some amount under the instep). They look good dressed down (jeans and a t-shirt) or slightly dressier (dark jeans and a button up shirt) and the mesh helps them breathe, so I often took them when I travelled. But...quality control has been an issue. The first pair suffered from a prematurely-peeling sole on the toe of the right shoe. And though I've worn the same size for all the previous pairs, when I ordered my most recent pair (same style, size and even the same color) they felt a half size too small...and my feet certainly haven't grown! I had to go up a half size to get a comfortable fit again. And yet, the rest of the shoe feels a bit off, and the laces are way too long for the shoe size. Luckily Zappos has great customer service so they quickly replaced them. Next time around though I may try my usual size...maybe (as the Zappos rep suggested) the quality control was just off for that pair. Who knows...

My fourth pair, Three pair were great. These are too narrow, hurt my feet. ???

Was super excited to find these, have been searching online for a few weeks for a replacement pair from ones I bought a few years back. Loved the style and color, unfortunately they were not comfortable. They felt far more narrow than the ones I had purchased in the past. Will unfortunately, have to return.

These may be the hot style right now, but structurally, they are awful. No padding, no arch support, will not support orthotics, etc. Quality-wise, they are on par with a basic Chuck.

This shoe is surprisingly and painfully narrow. Also, the sole is very narrow. I wear an orthotic and I would be concerned about rolling an ankle with this shoe.

These shoes fit wonderfully and they look great, I couldn't ask for more in a casual shoe. But look at the product photo of the charcoal/black, and notice those two threads sticking up near the left-front, where the pinky toe is? That's just the beginning. I've owned two pairs of Ultimate 81s and within a year both pairs - and both shoes, right and left - had holes big enough to wiggle your pinky toe through. I've had other Tigers that didn't do this, so I guess chalk it up to a design flaw, it's just a shame because it makes the shoes unwearable after a while.

Overall, these felt hard, cheap, and thin. Zero cushioning. Also itchy and irritating on the top of my foot under the laces. I'd wanted a stylish pair of trainers - and these are certainly pretty - but I expected something that was at least somewhat comfortable. Returned.

Not the same! These were my favorite shoes for years. Was excited they finally had them back in stock. But they fit totally different and are way cheaper. Very narrow toward the toes and very cheap, light material. Same price, of course. I'm sending back. Very disappointing.

I think I'm done with Asics after 10 years of wearing Tigers. The last pair of Ultimate 81s died after a few months (heel deformed) and Asics customer service ghosted me after having me send in pictures.

I'd keep the shoes if my feet were shaped like hotdog buns. what's up with the ultra narrow design?

Toe gum starts to come off after literally several days. Very disappointing because this shoe otherwise is a masterpiece.

Bad Design - These shoes are cute little torture devices. Problem is the heel cup rises too high, digging into my Achilles tendon. I tried to wear them around the house a couple of days, hoping they would loosen up or something. No dice. Broke my heart, but I had to return them.

No cushion or support

I'm so disappointed, and should have listened to the reviews. I have a pair of Tiger's from years ago, and these are not the same shoe. I have narrow feet, but the tread on these is so narrow under the arch that it doesn't extend across the width of my foot. Also, there is no arch support (my old pair had decent arch support), and these feel cheap in comparison. I like the look, but that's about all.

flimsy but nice looking (the sneakers not me): I bought these for the look, and since they are not expensive I didn't expect that much cushion or support, which is right. I had to get an insole, but after wearing these for 2 months the soles are quickly wearing down, and have very little support. Not lasting street ware.

I had several pairs of these shoes years ago. I was looking forward to having another pair when I finally saw a pair a color scheme I liked. I ordered the first pair the same size I used to wear. They were to big the second pair was to small. So I tried a third pair they were not comfortable. The past pairs I have had were good out of the box. I don’t know what has changed but I will not be trying these again.

I bought these a little over a week ago. I noticed a white mark near the toe when I unboxed them, but thought nothing of it. I wore them for a few days and walked home in a drizzle. A white stripe formed across both toes and white marks on the heel. I followed the instructions on the card on how to care for these shoes. They now look faded. I feel as if I have been ripped off. 80 dollars down the drain.

Most uncomfortable shoes - I can't believe they are rated so highly. They are flat and have as much support as the original chuck taylors. Tread will wear in months and the thin pad that I guess is supposed to be cushioning becomes compressed and even more uncomfortable each day. I generally walk at least 1.4 miles a day, usually more, and these are killing me feet. Don't buy them unless you are planning on wearing them on the weekend to wear out for the night or something. Otherwise, just awful. I will be burning them once I've replaced them, total waste of money.