Adidas has a new collaboration underway with artist Hebru Brantley.
The German sportswear giant has tapped the Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based contemporary artist to rework its Forum Low and High sneaker silhouettes, which launched Thursday, July 13 at select Adidas stores and the Confirmed app.
Both pairs come in signature colors from Brantley’s work, and feature contrast lacing and illustrated sock liners. The Forum Low is in a rich blue while the Forum High is in black and green. Both have tongue details featuring characters he created: Frogboy on the High and Rocket on the Low.
“This collaboration is important to me as a black kid on the South Side of Chicago, I have the ability to make cool art and have it celebrated across the country and around the world,” Brantley said. . “I was given creative freedom, from the idea behind the shoes to the campaign to the visual language, without any restrictions. I was allowed to tell the stories I wanted to tell, centered on empowerment rather than power.
Brantley is known for his narrative work primarily influenced by the AfriCOBRA movement in the 60s and 70s on Chicago’s South Side. In addition to the Frogboy and Rocket characters, Brantley in 2019 featured two other popular characters, FlyBoy and Lil Mama, in a 6,000 square foot installation at Chicago’s Nevermore Park featuring paintings, sculptures, interactive rooms, experiments and displays. exhibitions.
Adidas x Hebru Brantley Forum High sneakers.
Courtesy picture
As well as teaming up with Adidas, the artist has collaborated with a range of companies spanning fashion, automotive, spirits, music, television, media, games and sports including Hublot, Lacoste, Champion and Bape; Cadillac; Hennessy and Bombay Sapphire; Chance the rapper; nickelodeon; Launderer’s report; EA Sports; the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs; Nascar and the NBA.
Prior to the collaboration, Adidas had forged ties with luxury fashion houses under the Kering umbrella, including Gucci launched on June 7 and more recently Balenciaga.
