Price: $180 [Currently Under Retail]
Why Buy?
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE offers high quality materials and a nostalgia hit for those who are looking for it.
Why Avoid?
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE can be hard to pull off for a lot of guys, and still comes in higher than other 84s.
Specs
| Model | Forum 84 |
| Height | Low |
| Materials | Leather / Rubber / EVA |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 645 g / 1 lb, 6.75 oz |
| Construction | Stitched Cup Sole |
| Country of Origin | China |
History
If A Bathing Ape, or BAPE, were a person, they have officially hit middle age. Or, at least some people’s definition. At 30 years old, the Japanese streetwear brand has been around longer than a lot of people think. To celebrate this milestone, they have been releasing a number of collaborations, including on this Adidas Forum 84 BAPE edition.
Throughout their history, BAPE has never really been about subtlety. From camo hoodies that zipped up to the top, to obvious Air Force 1 knock offs, the brand has long put out products that are in your face. It’s probably no surprise that when they decided to take on a pair of forums, they followed the same pattern.
However, that left me with a bit of a question. They heyday of BAPE was decades ago – late 1990’s, early 2000’s. Just about anyone who is old enough to be celebrating the full 30 years of BAPE is probably a bit older. Maybe your knees are starting to go bad. Maybe you’ve long since started to wear khakis and a polo to your job in accounting.
How does this celebratory pair of sneakers hold up for the older crowd of BAPE fans? Let’s dive in and find out.
Looks
Presentation
To start off, I have to mention the box the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE come in. I’ve reviewed a lot of shoes, from $1,500 Edward Green Penny Loafers to the toughest work boots available. Nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to the quality of the box these come in.
It’s more like Apple’s packaging for their higher end products than a shoe box. The carboard is thick, the screen-printing is extremely high quality, and the fit is just tight enough that it slides with a nice smooth consistency. Opening these for the first time is a real treat.
I don’t have insight into Adidas’ operations, but I know that for a small manufacturer this box could cost 10-20 dollars just by itself.
You may nor may not care about packaging, there is no right answer. However, if you’re paying a premium for a 30th anniversary, having the unboxing be special is really nice.
Upper
The first thing you’ll notice on the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE is the ABC camo. This is the brand’s classic design, featuring a duck camo pattern and Mr. Ape hidden inside of it. This design covers the vast majority of the upper. If you’re not a fan of camo, these shoes are really not for you.
Elsewhere, dark green leather hits can be found on the three stripes and along the toe box. Heavily tumbled white leather can be seen on the toe box and in small hits here and there.
Being a forum 84, it has a non-removable strap – “*A BATHING APE” on one side, “adidas” on the other. One hidden detail I really like is that the underside of the strap arms has a natural-colored leather. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but it does give a bit of a premium feel.
There are a number of small details in the sneaker. A few that I like are the “A Bathing Ape” script on the high-quality laces, and the gold foil logos pressed into the side. A feature I don’t personally like is the large “30” deubre. Its big, its gold, its… too much for me. Thankfully, it’s easily removed.
Inside, the sneaker features a forest green liner as well as a camo patterned insole.
Mid- and Outsole
Where the upper of the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE is absolutely covered with design features, the outsoles is 100% standard Forum 84. That isn’t a bad thing, the 80’s models are incredibly high quality and some of the best designs in sneakers out there right now. But this sneaker isn’t any different than what you’ll find sitting at Foot Locker.
That means a hard rubber cup sole running 3/4s of the way around the edge of the sneaker. An exposed piece of EVA foam on the sneaker interior. And a circular rubber outsole featuring a pivot point.
The colors they picked do match nicely. The heel cap is a dark forest green, as is the outsole. The pivot point itself is a brighter green. Still, you probably won’t be buying these for the bottom half.
Summary
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE is clearly designed to be fan service for guys who love the brand. I’ll fully admit, if you’re not a fan of the brand, you probably won’t like these. They give off the same vibe as a middle-aged guy wearing the jersey of his favorite player growing up vibes.
However, the guy still rocking that Ray Lewis jersey isn’t wearing it for you. He’s wearing it for him, to remind him of seeing his first game in person. That’s how I see these. They are a nostalgia trip back to 2004 when you couldn’t find BAPE STAs no matter how hard you tried.
Of course, that’s the lens that I’m seeing these through. If the first time you heard of BAPE was after I.T. bought it, these might just be green camo shoes. There are plenty of ways to style them if that’s what you’re going after.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE fits exactly like any other Forum 84. That is, they are fairly true to size though a bit sausage shaped.
They are going to fit a lot of people, however guys who like to leave their laces loose might be in a bit of trouble. The generic shape of these mean that if your feet are wide or narrow, you’re going to need to use the laces to keep them on your feet.
I got these in a size 13, which is my typical sneaker size.
Comfort
If you’re looking for a pair of super comfortable sneakers, the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE are not the pair for you. The technology in these sneakers are almost 40 years old at this point – what were you expecting?
However, for a pair of retro sneakers, these are completely wearable. Not only do they have more foam in them compared to other retro designs like a Jordan 1 or Stan Smith, the upper leather on this pair is incredibly soft. They really take to the shape of your foot in a way that older sneakers typically don’t.
I would never pick these if I was doing something really demanding, however I would have no worries wearing these all day if I was just casually hanging out.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE is made from fairly good materials, though there is one big caveat on that. Starting off with the good, all of the core components here are everything you could ask for in a mass-produced sneaker.
As I’ve started to come to expect on the 80’s branded retros from Adidas, the leather on the upper is thick and super soft. The other parts of the upper are great as well – the lining is nylon but high quality, the insole is a soft foam, and the laces are nice and thick polyester.
Looking on the bottom of the sneaker, the cup sole is a great combination of durable and soft. It should last a really long time, but doesn’t detract from the comfort. At least, as much as a cup sole can.
Inside, there is a ½ tall piece of EVA foam that runs the length
Really, my only complaint is that pretty much the entire sneaker is covered with screen print. That’s kind of to be expected – leather doesn’t naturally come in a camo pattern – but I don’t expect the patter to last too long. Any scrape or bump will take that plastic off. That being said, the alternative way of doing this would likely have been prohibitively expensive. Can’t be too upset.
Construction
The Adidas Forum 84 BAPE is made using a typical cup sole construction. To make a sneaker this way, the upper is sewn together and then glued onto a cup-shaped rubber outsole. The outsole is then stitched onto the sneaker along the edge.
The biggest benefit of this style of construction is durability. The high side walls and extra stitching means that this style of construction can take damage that newer forms of construction can’t. On the other hand, making sneakers this way means that there is less flexibility, and it can cost a bit more to make than newer styles.
Pricing
Originally priced at $180, these are still sitting on several websites and available for under retail at time of writing. This puts them at a retail price $60 more than other Adidas Forum 84s, and $80 more than the standard pair.
Are the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE Worth It?
Taking everything into account, are the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE worth it? I think the first question you need to ask yourself is if you’re going to be wearing green camo shoes with gold highlights on them. For me personally, it’s a nostalgia hit and I do. If you can’t say the same these will just sit in your closet.
Assuming the answer to that is yes, it’s undeniable that these are a high-quality pair. Starting with the unboxing experience, moving onto the materials, and even being able to snag them for under retail, the Adidas Forum 84 BAPE does everything you could want it to do slightly better than you would expect.
Is BAPE the coolest thing out there anymore? No, not really. But then again, most of the guys who celebrate the 30th anniversary probably are not anywhere as cool as they used to be either. If you hold a special place in your heart for old BAPE, these could be a good pick up.
