Adidas Forum

The Adidas Forum sneaker, launched in the early 1980s, was designed specifically for basketball, but it has not said its last word and is now making its mark in the wider fashion world.

Before we look at the Adidas Forum trainer, it's worth learning a little more about this world-famous brand. So if you're interested in the subject, let's find out more about the history of the famous brand: Adidas and especially the Adidas Forum!
It all began for Adi Dassler, the founder of the German company Adidas, on 18 August 1949 with the main mission of improving the performance of athletes. No less than 70 years later, the Adidas brand has left its mark on generations of people in the world of sport, but also in the world of music, culture, fashion, sustainability and many other areas.

The Adidas Forum sneaker, launched in the early 1980s, was designed specifically for basketball, but it has not said its last word and is now making its mark in the wider fashion world.
The Forum basketball shoe is basically a highly technical shoe. The main objective of the sneaker was to be a high-performance, technical trainer with a timeless design. And, it's a successful bet!

The adidas Forum returns to the forefront in the 2021s, a remarkable and noticeable comeback, which is not common for a vintage model from the brand. Launched in 1986, this is the first time the pair has been so successful and talked about. With its practical and functional design, the model was conceived to be timeless, allowing this pair of Adidas trainers to endure and to quietly cross generations.
What has generated a lot of controversy, however, is the price of the Adidas Forum, which at the time was priced at : 99$. This was an aberration for consumers in those years, when pairs of trainers with three stripes were usually priced at around $50.

The Air Jordan 1, for example, which was priced at $64.99, still had a lukewarm launch because of the Adidas Forum, which had a certain prestige thanks to its high price.

No less than 25 years later, the Adidas Forum is once again at the heart of a dispute that tends to confuse the brand's community, but this time it's the design that's at fault. A host of questions are being raised, including whether the strap should be cut off and whether the label should be removed to put it on.  This new difference in the history of this Adidas shoe is a good thing, as it clearly shows that the entire community is willing to embrace the sneaker, even if in a different way.

It should be noted that it was Jacques Chassaing, one of Adidas' most renowned and coveted designers, who developed the controversial Forum. The ZX range, the Rivalry and the Lendl are all versions created by this French designer who has worked for 36 years for the brand. He is still a consultant for Adidas and is undeniably recognised as a faithful witness to the various transformations in footwear design.

There's no doubt about it, these sneakers are followed for their signature design: Indeed, the famous Adidas brand is making a long-awaited comeback with the adidas Forum 84 trainers. These sneakers, originally designed for basketball in the early 1980s, seem to be a hit in today's fashion scene.

Following a high-profile reappearance on adidas.co.uk in December 2021, the adidas Forum 84 Hi OG "Bright Blue" sneakers, dressed in a highly attractive retro patina, have caused the official website to go out of stock in a hurry.

It is likely that this rapid success is partly due to a new, more modern style drop already on offer, in which the iconic Forum Low or High is dressed in smooth white leather, in high or low iterations, embellished with the German brand's signature stripes. The killer detail? The strap with the inevitable logo on the ankle.

How to wear the adidas Forum 84 sneakers?

Fashion and trainer nuts, the fashionable woman has literally thrown herself into the revisit of this coveted sneaker. The Adidas Forum Low can be worn either with vintage jeans and a pop trench coat for Danish designer Emili Sindlev, or with a bohemian ensemble for stylist Thora Valdimars, to enhance a tenniswear outfit as conceived by Blanca Miró, or by enhancing an all black design for Jeanette Madsel.

A true demonstration of style through these different Danish designers to accommodate these Forum Low that intend to oust the iconic Stan Smith.

The Adidas Forum comes in a design that differs somewhat from the version from which these are derived, and is a pair of trainers designed specifically to celebrate the basketball decade.

The Forum High trainer features a semi-mounted upper made of leather with Adidas' signature three stripes, as well as overlapping inserts in different colours. The ankle strap is adjustable and hook and loop.

The entire sneaker sits on a cupsole and like the outsole, it is made from premium rubber. The Forum Low pair is depicted in a low, rather wide design with traditional lacing but topped with a velcro strap.

The Adidas Forum sneakers come in low and high versions and are available for men, women and children. Their design, which combines a vintage look with a sporty influence, stands out successfully in the playground as well as during sport. 

In short, the Adidas Forum trainer is an undeniable fashion statement of the 1980s, representing an entire decade of basketball.