adidas Originals 3-Way: VA / D-Mop / ACU / Crooked Tongues

The third and final drop of the 3Way Consortium project from adidas Originals sees the series heading East for a work around between some of the most respected sneaker retailers and influencers of the region.

With the choice of working on the 5 models together in whatever manner they chose ACU, Crooked Tongues (London based but with strong ties to Thailand), D-Mop and VA decided to pair up on two shoes each and all collaborate together on the fifth.

Samba

When talking about the Samba, the most immediate point of reference for most is generally its origins as the indoor football-training shoe of choice since it was first introduced.

The version that ACU and VA have produced flips this notion on its head and comes correct with a new take on the iconic model, ostensibly for the badminton courts, the Samba Shuttlecock.

Keeping the shape of the original silhouette, the Samba Shuttlecock takes the upper and gives it a serious make over with a combination of clear plastic and suede teal coming together with contrasting purple, yellow and lime 3-Stripes. The clear theme is carried through on the ice outsole that works nicely with the clear and clean elements found on the upper.

The Trefoil is also given the ‘Shuttlecock’ makeover with the 3 leaves being swapped out for 3 shuttlecock feathers in a red blue and yellow on the tongue with ‘Shuttlecock Samba’ positioned directly underneath. The new make-up for the Trefoil is also executed on the heel tab while the shoe is subtly Consortium branded with a customised top lace eyelet.

Forum

The Forum Mid is a sneaker that initially made waves on the basketball court in 1984 and a year on from its 25th anniversary the shoe is still as sought after as it was when it first dropped, complete with its $100 price tag, over two decades ago.

This contemporary version is the result of a re-imagining of the classic between Crooked Tongues and VA and highlights everything that made the model great in the first place including the forefoot strap, unique shape of the toe box and webbing on the instep of the midsole.

On top of the traditional elements, the Crooked and VA crews, both fans of the model, had the chance to add improvements, most noticeably a small stud button to help the foot strap from slipping, which is CT branded on the left shoe and VA on the right shoe. Also included are three lace flips, namely, Ice Grey, Electricity and the two colours combined giving enough wearability choices to keep even the most jaded fan happy.

Featuring a combination leather upper in an Ice Grey colourway with electric Lime Green 3-Stripes, Trefoil and contrast stitching on the outsole, the shoe looks like being one of the highlights of the upcoming season and is certainly one of the more memorable takes on the Forum in some time.

Nizza

Since its first appearance in the 70s the simple, vulcanised silhouette and clean lines of the Nizza have made it an ever-present inclusion in the adidas catalogue.
This re-working saw Crooked Tongues and D-Mop working together and looking to stress the classic, everyday qualities of the shoe and demonstrate that it is a model that doesn’t need to be box fresh for it to just work.

Featuring a simple white canvas upper and rubber toecap with a bluebird contrast evident in the 3-Stripes, foxing and Trefoil on the tongue, the version is innocuous enough until you get close enough to notice the slightly pre-stressed effect that is used on the canvas upper, namely, some wearing and faux dirt stains which lend to the overall vintage feel of the shoes.

Finished with Trefoil and Nizza branding on the heel outsole and an embroidered, vintage styled Trefoil on the tongue, this sought after model is back, and looking like it was beamed straight off a ‘ballers feet from the 70s.

Stan Smith

Renowned for its timeless, clean silhouette the Stan Smith has been the subject of a range of iterations since its introduction in 1965 and an ongoing, best-selling make-up in the adidas catalogue.

This version sees collaboration between Asian heavyweights ACU and D-Mop that directly reflects the artistic heritage of original Oriental porcelain designs. It sounds a little heavy for a sneaker concept, but the proof is in the pudding and their takedown of a traditional Chinese ‘blue and white wares’ technique is both eye catching and effective.

The upper cleanly contrasts between the smooth leather that carries the motif of the blossoms and bird of prey while the toe box and tongue are constructed from a premium quality nubuck.

The famous image of Stan Smith on the tongue is replaced with the ACU and D-Mop logos while a gold trim on the lining of the inner and gold Consortium branded eyelet lend the takedown a touch of class.

Finished with a standout white Trefoil and ‘Stan Smith’ print on the heel tab, Kenji characters running down the heel and contrast stitching on the midsole, this take on the tennis classic is a straight up neck breaker.

Superstar

Mention adidas to a range of people and odds are that a fair proportion of them will immediately associate the 3-Stripes with the Superstar or ‘Shelltoe’.

Having transcended its status as a mere sneaker to an object of cultural significance, working with the Superstar now brings an inherent level of responsibility and inevitable scrutiny from the masses.

Chosen as the model that all the partners would work together on, the group design process, led by the heavyweights at Crooked Tongues have turned out one of the collaborative efforts of the year.

The upper is constructed from premium nubuck with a slighter coarser nubuck grain providing the contrast for the 3-Stripes and on the heel tab. Other features on the upper include the embossed ‘Crossed Lace’ logo that represents the group and is repeated again on the group tongue.

Revisiting the theme of swappable tongues that first reared its head in the Crooked take on the Campus Lo for the adicolor project means that the end result is essentially 5 pairs of the iconic Superstar rolled into one. Each partner has contributed their own tongue design with logo and matching laces while the ‘Crossed Lace’ tongue represents the group as a whole.

Finishing details include a subtle Consortium branded lace eyelet and black contrast stitching on the midsole.