Co-written by @mukondelelimushiana & @uasande
Before we get into it we’ll first get through the Adidas Forum shoe history. Over the last few months, Adidas has been dropping a series of campaign videos featuring one of their most iconic sneaker, the Adidas Forum which was first introduced to the public in 1984 as the Adidas flagship basketball shoe. The shoes took the masses by storm with the low tops being a fan favourite when compared to the high top. Over the years, the brand has found a way to always re-invent the shoe along with its colour ways.
With the come back of vintage sneakers, the Adidas Forum has resurrected. If the series of campaigns are anything to go by, the Adidas Forum isn’t just another shoe. Through its resurrection, the shoe has transitioned into something greater. With the series of campaigns they’ve dropped, Adidas South Africa has collaborated with the likes of; Lenzowannabenzo, Tuto Zondo, Nkuley Masemola and Stacey-Lee just to name a few. Each campaign embodies a different take to what the shoe represents and the true essence of what being free is, while being open to the endless possibilities that come with tapping into your truest form.
As mentioned above, Adidas South Africa is undeniably on a roll with the Adidas Forum campaigns and the second episode of Welcome to Open Forum has to be my personal favorite. The shoe brand got two organizations, Soweto Skate Society and 4MyGirls to create this second episode in their natural habitats draped in Adidas and of course pairs of Adidas Forum talking about their organizations objectives and why they started.
“Stay open to community. You never know where it may take you.”
“I just want to see a random kid I don’t know skating” – Bakers Man
Soweto Skate Society is one of the longest reigning skating crew in South Africa founded more than a decade ago in December 2010 by Sechaba known in the streets as Bakers Man, a young man that keeps his government name mostly to himself. When he started this skating crew his prominent objective was to make skateboarding a familiar sporting activity amongst people of Soweto, he also wanted to bring the community together through this sport. The 30-something year old started skating in early 2000s, 2004 to be exact and has since devoted his life to it.
“Skateboarding is going to blow up in the townships.” – Bakers Man
“I do it for you, I do it 4MyGirls.” – 4MyGirls
4MyGirls is a safe haven and a sanctuary for girls who are creatives and POC. 4MyGirls is for creating a safe space and where girls are spotlighted, loved and made to flourish. The reason this organization was started is to help girls take up space in the industry, any industry at that. Founded by four young women from Cape Town, South Africa; Margiela Candy, Amarah Abraham’s, Tara McCauliffee and Charlize Christina, 4MyGirls is also said to be a form of inspiration to other girls to forge their own paths.
“It’s a forum for open discussion, where no topic is taboo, Shame has no home here. You have a question, we answer it.” – 4MyGirls
cultureclubmag.com 