20 years in the making

The Mexico 66 has come a long way on its road to coolness.

Nearly 20 years ago the epic fight sequences from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. I produced instantly famous looks, from O-Ren’s snow-white kimono to her teen bodyguard Gogo’s schoolgirl uniform, no outfit has stood the test of time like The Bride’s yellow tracksuit with black stripes and sneakers.

The Bride’s entire outfit is a reference to the 1978 Bruce Lee film Game of Death. (While Thurman’s character solely wore the yellow kicks, Lee’s character also wears the red, white, and blue sneakers.) The tennis shoes make another appearance in another classic Lee film, Enter the Dragon, where they’re also worn by Jim Kelly.

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Nowadays, the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66s are no longer being used in death matches. The sleek, tapered leather trainer with its interlocking stripes has become a favourite among models, actors, and celebrities. Bella Hadid wears them when making TikToks on set, Suki Waterhouse wears them at festivals and Kaia Gerber wears them at any chance she gets. While they are the latest hot trend, the cult classic shoe has several colourways.

Adison Rae favours the white body with blue and red stripes, while Hailey Bieber has stepped out in black with white stripes. Some, like Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber, own several iterations of the shoe—though both have pledged allegiance to the Kill Bill yellows.