In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Japanese streetwear company BAPE® in collaboration with adidas Originals announced its latest limited edition sneaker release, the Forum 84 BAPE Low Triple-White sneaker.
BAPE®, which stands for “A Bathing Ape”, was founded in 1993 by fashion designer Nigo and eventually started selling shoes in the US in 2005. It is best known for its signature camo print and monkey head logo, which still remain a critical element of the brand and its design ethos.
Over the years, the brand has collaborated with other fashion brands, including Adidas, Comme des Garcons, Supreme, Heron Preston, as well as musicians such as Pharrell Williams.
The sneakers feature a “shooting star motif” on the lateral upper and “A Bathing Ape” embossed in silver metallic foil. Each pair of sneakers also has an NFC chip that is placed in the left tongue, giving the owner and collectors access to the digital certificate of authenticity.
Behind the drop
The limited edition Forum 84 BAPE Low Triple-White sneaker is also the subject of an all-new, innovative drop format.
In partnership with MoonPay, the launch is also supported by the adidas /// Studio (aka Three Stripes Studio), representing a first-ever auction of digital assets for the brand.
Only 100 NFTs directly linked to 100 matching physical pairs of sneakers will be available, with the adidas Originals x BAPE® Fresh Forum NFT auction starting August 22 via adidas COLLECT – open to all. The auction lasts 3 days and closes on August 25.
The 100 holders of the adidas Originals x BAPE Fresh Forum Access Pass NFT will allow the holder to redeem a physical pair of sneakers on September 26, along with its digital counterpart.
In other news…
In June, BAPE chose to celebrate its 30th anniversary in New York, which has been an extremely valuable market for the brand after expanding outside Japan in 2005.
Thomas Hui, chief operating officer of BAPE, said WWD that the launch of sub-brands “allows BAPE to experiment with new styles and designs without diluting the identity of the main brand”, adding that “each sub-brand can have its own aesthetic and marketing strategy”, allowing BAPE to explore new trends.
In January, Nike sued the Japanese fashion brand for trademark infringement, claiming that BAPE had made “verbatim copies” of Nike’s Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1 and Dunk sneaker designs. The lawsuit is still pending.