PARIS — Japanese shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger is stepping into its next era with confidence, following the opening of a new flagship on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Paris holds historical significance for the brand. It was Onitsuka Tiger’s first international retail location outside of Japan following the brand’s revival in 2002. Due to this history, “Paris is really close to our heart,” chief executive officer Ryoji Shoda told WWD.

After celebrating its 75th birthday last year with an activation titled “Onitsuka Tiger Hotel” in the same building, the brand is now expanding its retail presence and looking toward category expansion.

“This new store on the Champs-Élysées marks the beginning of our third generation. This is going to be the first stepping stone towards our 100th anniversary. This will be an important store for us,” said Shoda, speaking through an interpreter.

Located at 25 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the new store has taken over the space of a former restaurant at the base of the historic Hôtel de la Païva building below the legendary Travellers Club. The 5,500-square-foot space features 3,800 square feet of sales floor drenched in Onitsuka Tiger’s signature black and yellow palette.

“Our brand has a lot of history. History is something that is important, that is close to our heart. It also needs to be modernized,” Shoda said. “[The store is a] collaboration between Japanese modernism and history. It’s a message we are sending.”

The renovation was led by Milan-based architects Filippo Dini and Gianluca Cataldi, who have worked on four Onitsuka Tiger stores in Europe and one in Japan. “We always like to have a crash between Tokyo style with European culture,” Dini said. The result is a layered space that combines preserved 19th-century architectural features, including original arches and pillars, with glossy black shelving units reminiscent of traditional Japanese lacquer boxes, as well as custom concrete crafted from Japanese mortar.

“We’re trying to give an identity to each capsule of the brand with their own materials to make them live in their own world, and then live also together with the other stories,” Dini added.

Each area within the store reflects a different aspect of the Onitsuka Tiger range. One room features a bookshelf-style display that highlights the 100 percent handmade “Nippon Made” collection. To celebrate the opening, a special “Nippon Made” edition of the classic Mexico 66 rendered in the colors of the French flag will be available.

Another room dedicated to ready-to-wear is bathed in the traditional bright yellow hue of the brand’s signature sneaker. The rooms will also offer heritage models, bags and accessories.

Meanwhile, a former bank vault has been cleverly transformed into the store’s dressing rooms.

Adding to the lifestyle experience, the store includes a café serving Onitsuka Tiger’s own branded coffee blend, as well as specialty drinks and snacks. If the beans prove popular, they may eventually be added to the brand’s expanding product categories.

Creating “Brand Fans” and Increasing Sales Floor Value

Onitsuka Tiger is making its first big move into new categories with the coming launch of its fragrances. The fragrances were teased during the brand’s show at Milan Fashion Week in February, and are expected to roll out at retail by early fall. Shoda sees it as part of the brand’s evolution from sports shoes, to fashion and now lifestyle.

He emphasized that the brand sits in a unique position between luxury and high street — a balance reinforced by a strict full-price model. “To me, luxury means when a product holds its value…We do not do discounts or sales. For me, that’s the definition [of luxury],” he said. “And unlike fast fashion, we are brand driven. It’s not about pushing product; it’s about building a fanbase of people who love our brand.”

Brick-and-mortar retail remains central to the company’s strategy, and that like-for-like sales have been growing at a steady clip. “We can see that the sales per store are growing,” he said. “The revenues of our stores is really doubling.”

Fragrance, Shoda believes, can continue to boost those per-square-foot numbers, and the brand is exploring additional categories.

A potential hospitality concept is under consideration, following the popularity of the “Onitsuka Tiger Hotel” activation last year. The pop-up included branded pillows, bath products and stationery, all of which are now under consideration as new categories, alongside cosmetics and sleepwear.

Shoda confirmed that a return to the U.S. market is in the pipeline, though no firm date has been set. Current economic conditions and the uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs are being analyzed, he said.

“It’s really going to be not so far away in terms of time, but when we decide to do it, it will have to have a great impact on the market,” he said. “We have to wait and see [when] the time will be right, when the American market stabilizes.”

Globally, Onitsuka Tiger is leaning into physical retail.

During the pandemic when most brands were betting on e-commerce, Shoda believed the future would be “real, human communication,” he said. He put that at the core of his strategy and planning, and moved quickly to open new outposts in London and Milan post-pandemic.

The approach has been winning. Onitsuka Tiger is now the most profitable category within parent company Asics. The most recent financial results showed sales up 58.3 percent year-over-year, with profit increasing 8.5 percent over 2023.

The company currently operates 192 own-brand stores across the globe, including 48 in Japan, 83 in China, 32 in South Korea, 19 in Southeast Asia, seven in Europe and three in Australia. Many other locations operate through partnerships, though company strategy is concentrated on direct-to-consumer retail.

“As a brand we are extremely popular in Asia, and our products really sell well in Asian regions,” Shoda said. “That’s our strength compared to other luxury brands.”

One of those key markets is India. With 11 stores there run through local partnerships, Onitsuka Tiger is considering opening domestic production facilities soon.

“The Indian market is known for being a bit difficult [to break into], but we take pride in the fact that we’ve been able to achieve great success in that market,” he said. The brand’s popularity has been boosted by ambassadors such as Bollywood star Rashmika Mandanna, who was among the celebrity guests invited to the Paris flagship opening night.

For dinner in the private Travellers Club, Michelin-starred chef Ryuji Tashima created a four course meal with each course paired to one of the four fragrances. Each course was accompanied by an interpretive dance inspired by the fragrances’ characteristics.

Onitsuka Tiger’s ready-to-wear is now regularly on the Milan calendar. While Shoda declined to provide sales figures for clothing, he said its momentum is steady. The brand’s only competition is itself. “The clothing category is increasing — but shoes are growing so exponentially, it’s hard for clothing to keep up.”