Hebru Brantley brings his art to the adidas Forum

Hebru Brantley is an artist who creates afro-futuristic art. Brantley's work is heavily influenced by the AfriCOBRA art collective of the 1960s and 1970s. This group of Chicago artists celebrated their African identity through art while simultaneously expressing their black pride.

Brantley has become best known for his fictional black superheroes. In a new collaboration with adidas Original, the artist brings these iconic characters to life. This time he does so on the silhouette of the Forum, rather than on a canvas or mural.

Two common characters of Brantley are Flyboy and Frogboy. Through these characters, the artist expresses his desire for freedom, solidarity and his determination to endure challenges. These themes can be traced to those of the afriCOBRA collective.

These desires combined with the problems in the world are the inspiration for the artist's fictional characters. In his art, the artist looks at the problems in the world and imagines how his protagonists can then tackle them.

Hebru Brantley x adidas Forum

Brantley's afro-futuristic superheroes inspired adidas to collaborate in a collection. This capsule consists of two different versions of the adidas Originals Forum, a Low and a High. On these sneakers, Brantley's heroes come alive.

The adidas Forum Low takes inspiration from Rocket and the Forum High is inspired by the character Frogboy.

adidas Forum Low 'Rocket'

The adidas Forum Low takes its inspiration from the character 'Rocket' and colors almost entirely blue. The underlays are covered in light blue leather. Over the upper, we see darker blue overlays. These are of suede.

The mudguards and overlays are blue suede. From the heel to the instep is also suede, but a more furry variety. The lace-up eyelets are smooth blue leather.

Furthermore, in the details there are many references to the art of Hebru Brantley. A tag of Rocket is put on the sneaker and there is a graphic of the character on the tongue. On the insoles is a graphic of Flyboy, the character that controls Rocket. The laces are equipped with a lock lace system.

adidas Forum High 'Frogboy'

This colorway of the adidas Forum High takes its inspiration from the futuristic superhero 'Frogboy'. For example, you can find the green of the frog helmet on the leather three stripes, heel and toebox.

The pink lining of the helmet is reflected in the shape of the laces. The black leather pays homage to the freedom, solidarity and determination of black superheroes.

Outside of the color palette, the sneaker includes even more Frogboy details. The tongue, insole and hangtag feature the character's head. This sneaker also features a lace lock and the design is completed with a black midsole with a gum outsole underneath.

The Hebru Brantley x adidas Forum Low 'Rocket' & Forum High 'Frogboy' drop July 14, 2022. The two-pack will be available through adidas' website and various retailers. Want to learn more about this collaboration? Then click the button below.

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