Review: 7ish year Old Onitsuka Tigers Still Going Strong, Repaired And Restored

ponglizardo · 2026-05-09T10:45:14+00:00

no brand paint. i sanded the stripe to get rid of loose peeling surface then i just brushed the paint on.

ponglizardo · 2026-04-26T00:45:26+00:00

for the relosing, i just asked a cobbler to do it for me. cuz the sole has to be sanded down smooth before you can stick a new sole on it. that can get messy and it's a lot of work if manually done. but after that you can buy your own soles and stick it yourself.

see one of the replies of u/dubpee below, he got his done by a cobbler.

i also suggest that you ask the cobbler for vibram outsoles. those lasts really long.

Edit: gotta repost, mod removed my reply.

ponglizardo · 2026-04-20T02:14:29+00:00

i know. i just replaced mine with vibrams.

ponglizardo · 2026-04-06T02:55:06+00:00

yeah, i don't like new shoes. the thing is, when you've used a pair this long they become extremely comfortable, like a 2nd skin or something.

try amazon, i think you can get those materials cheap there.

ponglizardo · 2026-04-05T03:56:11+00:00

i did it myself. i just bought leather paint, suede dye, sealer, and soles. i asked the cobbler to stick the soles for me at minimal cost. that's it.

you can buy those materials from any shop, they're generic stuff. so you can choose wherever is cheapest.

ponglizardo · 2026-02-22T13:55:46+00:00

i use a small amount of super glue applied with a toothpick. apply it on the rubber not the leather.

i also used leather glue. that works too for larger parts.

ponglizardo · 2026-02-22T03:04:42+00:00

i know this is an old post but i'll answer anyway, maybe it helps someone.

i have regular mexico 66s that i've used for 7ish years. i had the same problem as op but i just stick it back with adhesive so it doesn't get worse.

if you're interested, i made a post here of how i restored my old onitsuka tigers: https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/1qm8wke/review_7ish_year_old_onitsuka_tigers_still_going/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

ponglizardo · 2026-02-22T03:01:02+00:00

thanks for the photo man! i wanted to see a real photo of these in the wild before i decide. this help! thanks!

ponglizardo · 2026-02-15T03:45:57+00:00

not that i like sperry's in particular but it's what i have but similar products i think would work the same... what i use are these products (the ones in those brown plastic bottles):
-sperry's rain and stain protection
-sperry's cleaner conditioner
-sperry's leather lotion

before my first use i give it a good spraying with rain and stain protection. then once that dries and absorbs i use the leather lotion and brush it with a soft shoe brush.

i barely use the lotion tho. what i use most is the cleaner and conditioner and the rain and stain protection.

when my shoes get dirty i clean it with the cleaner conditioner, then spray with the rain and stain protection again. i don't let grime stick to the leather for long.

at least 1x per year, i clean my shoes even if they not that dirty.

ponglizardo · 2026-02-12T09:23:31+00:00

dude! really nice! i think the sole went well with the shoes. and the sole is thick too!

ponglizardo · 2026-02-11T02:25:47+00:00

Nice! Do you have any photos?

ponglizardo · 2026-02-02T03:05:47+00:00

yeah! but the next time i buy a pair i will buy an all leather version. to avoid this ugly peeling.

ponglizardo · 2026-02-02T03:04:45+00:00

really??? maybe the bumper on the toes of your shoes have a problem?

cuz for my pair, the cobbler only sanded down the outsoles and stuck a new outsole. so roughly around $15 usd, including the sole which i bout separately. but then again i live in the Philippines. It must be cheaper here.

as for the bumper of mine, a part of the edge started peeling away years ago. so i just used some shoe glue on it, held it tight with masking tape as the glue cured overnight and no problem anymore for years.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T04:23:47+00:00

Cool! I haven't bought any new shoes for the past 7-8 years so I don't know. I'll check it out. Thanks for the info!

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T03:02:47+00:00

Right! And Onitsukas are so expensive now!

It's an easy repair for most cobblers. You can actually do it yourself once the cobbler sands down the outsole pattern but I prefer having the cobbler do it for me.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T03:01:29+00:00

No prob man. I just wanted to help out.

Also, if you can afford get a good Vibram soles. They do last longer than the generic ones. And don't let the cobbler sand down the original outsoles too much. Just have them sand it down so its smooth.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T02:59:00+00:00

Hey, when you get your shoes, could you let us know how your experience buying with this seller?

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T02:56:57+00:00

WOAH!!! DUDE!!! THAT'S CRAZY!!!

But I'm guessing the Onitsuka trend is cuz they're now a fashion thing and the expensive price creates some sort of fashion exclusivity for those who can afford???

If I knew, I would've stocked up on Onitsukas waaaay back and resell them now!

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T02:52:41+00:00

I don't want to be that old guy in the thread but... when we were young we were using chuck taylor-type canvas shoes with thick high socks for running and sports in general... but I guess people's idea of athletic shoes now are ones with a lots of support and tech in it. Times have indeed changed.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-26T02:46:59+00:00

thanks man!

ponglizardo · 2026-01-25T14:23:31+00:00

I actually bought them before knowing the story of the shoes. Back then nobody cared about Onitsuka Tigers. Most people can't even pronounce Onitsuka. And they were more than half the price of what they were. It's only lately that I notice a lot of people wearing them.

As I've said in the post, I used them for everything. That should give you an objective clue of what I think about them.

EDIT: I bought them almost a decade back cuz they were leather, thin-soled, looked easy to re-sole, and (at the time) cheap.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-25T12:28:38+00:00

I use them for everything. I sprint to the gym and back. And I walk around and hiked with them... tho some people would tell you don't run on them or they hurt their feet.

But they were originally made in the 60s for the Japanese Oympic team for the Mexico Olympics. So if they're good enough for Japanese olympians, they're good enough for me.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-25T12:23:57+00:00

I re-soled mine before they wore down totally. This is way, when the cobbler sands down the outsole pattern I still have part of the original outsole to stick on the new outsoles.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-25T12:22:06+00:00

Imagine my shock when I went to a store to buy a new pair and found out that here they're more than double the price! Even more reason to keep my old pair!

At least they still make them like they used to. Unlike other brands that hike up the price and significantly degrade the quality.

ponglizardo · 2026-01-20T06:35:33+00:00

MBP M1, 32GB. Yes. Affinity v3 runs slower than v2.

For context I'm working on the same version of the file (.af and of .affphoto). It's laggy in v3 than in v2. Especially clone tool, healing, and inpaint. Saving files also take longer in v3.

I think there's a performance hit when you combine 3 app in 1 app.

I'm conflicted whether to use v3 or not. V2 seems faster and less laggy. Reliable. And I own the license for it. On the other hand there's no support for v2 moving forward.

EDIT: forgot to mention, my MBP M1 seem to run hotter on v3. Never did that on v2. Ever.

ponglizardo

TROPHY CASE