The story of Adidas Forum began in France in 1983. Designer Jacques Chassaing attended numerous basketball games to make sure his designs were perfect. Chassaing dreamed of creating a sport of basketball that would support the entire team, taking into account the diversity of athletes, their different roles and physical characteristics; He found the weak spot in his ankle through conversations with coaches and players. Visualizing the straps psychotherapists had used to stabilize him, he decided to add a stabilizing cross-ankle system inside the shoe that cradled and protected the entire area.
Forum turned heads with its retro-futuristic design and useful features such as an adjustable cross-strap system to prevent injury, reinforced heels, Dillenger mesh or a micro-cellular midsole to absorb shocks.
The Forum series, where every fine detail was considered, went through a long material discovery process and was launched in 1984 with the addition of special touches such as shock-absorbing soles. That same year, Michael Jordan wore these shoes at the Olympic basketball trials in the United States.
1984 was a striking year for the whole world. Apple switched to the Macintosh computer, Prince released Purple Rain and adidas introduced Forum. Instantly replacing all basketball shoes before it, Forum entered the fray as adidas' all-star player and changed the game forever, quickly becoming the choice of both basketball court heroes and other people on the street.
In 1984, the Adidas Forum replaced the Top Ten as the premier basketball shoe for the Three Stripes. With both its innovations and superior performance on the court, Forum quickly became a favorite among basketball shoes by offering both low and high ankle versions. At the same time, it became a status symbol that few people could access, with its price of $100, which was very high for that period.
After more than 35 years, adidas reinterprets the Forum in 2021, preserving the DNA of the original model.