The adidas Forum 84, arriving in a retro-inspired color palette, is presented in its High and Low forms. The sneaker's history is rich with prestige after launching 40 years ago. In 1983, adidas gave a project to legendary and renowned French designer Jacques Chassaing; the pretty non-existent brief extended to as much as "create a basketball shoe for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games."
Away JC went, researching adidas designs as far back as the first basketball shoe that Adi Dassler himself crafted in 1949, the 'Basketballstiefel.' He even talked to numerous players and, with some experimentation, realized that different positions meant different needs. While the adidas Top Ten, which was then the flagship basketball shoe for the brand, was ideal for small forwards and point guards, the centers and power forwards needed more stability, better shock absorption, and support.
Incorporating these ideas led to the Criss-Cross support system that is still synonymous with the Forum today. Indeed, Peter Moore has even credited Jacques with helping design the Air Jordan 1. He adapted that support design to give MJ the same feeling on foot, as the Forum was MJ's favorite shoe during college. The shoe had a working title of 'Prestige,' but due to the location of the Olympics, Forum got the nod from marketing, as the famous arena was still then the home of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Four decades later, an inline brand team based in LA has chosen to revisit the past with the adidas Forum 84 Cloud White Trace Royal Pack. Both pairs feature leather tongue tags bearing Trefoil branding along with a line of text that proudly states these sneakers were "Designed in LA." The Forum 84 Low in this pack arrives with a premium cloud white leather base. The contrasting trace royal blue appears on plush suede utilized on the Three Stripes on the sides. At the same time, flashes of the color also adorn small leather panels, including the Trefoil branding on the sides and the visible heel stabilizer. The ankle strap features minimal branding, while a cream-white midsole sits underfoot, finished by a blue outsole.
The adidas Forum 84 High features the same material mix with more premium cloud white leather providing the base, an underlying perforated toebox, and an overlaying Criss-Cross support system to the rear. The trace royal is much more prominent on this shoe, wrapped around the ankle in smooth suede with a leather heel tab overlaying the junction of the Criss-Cross and suede on the back. Again, the ankle strap features minimal branding, with a cream-white midsole and solid blue rubber outsole completing the look.
The adidas Forum 84 Low and High in Cloud White Trace Royal are set to release on September 1, 2024, through adidas and select retailers in-store and online. Coming in men's sizing, retail is set at $130 for the High and $120 for the Low. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via adidas
adidas Forum 84 Low Cloud White Trace Royal
adidas Forum 84 High Cloud White Trace Royal
In this article
Craig Bell happily talks about sneakers or as he calls them "trainers" every day of the year. An avid Bradford City fan, he's also a big supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He will forever profess that Cricket is better than Baseball and that Rugby League is better then Rugby Union. Among his many hot takes, he believes the adidas ZX range is the pinnacle of sneaker design.
