Pair of trainers, Forum Hi Humanchives, Kerwin Frost for adidas, 2021

Pair of hi-top trainers, white leather with blue tongues, ankle collars and other details, white rubber soles. An adidas trefoil logo is present on both the tongue and outer side of each trainer; a blue three-stripe logo is on either side of each trainer. Threaded on the laces of each trainer is a panel showing a human eye with a blue iris - there are four in total. A brown plastic human nose is threaded to the laces toward the centre. On the end of each trainer's toe is a large, grinning silicone mouth. The trainers are fastened with flat white laces and a velcro strap across the ankle. On each velcro strap the designer's name, Kerwin Frost, is printed in bold yellow letters.

adidas is the world’s second largest sportswear brand after Nike and the largest that is headquartered in Europe. It was founded in Germany shortly after the end of the First World War by Adolf Dassler, after whom the company was named using a contracted form of his name.

adidas have had a long and successful association with various professional and amateur sports and sportspeople. They were key in the development of modern running spikes and their reputation grew after the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where Jesse Owens had won four gold medals wearing adidas shoes. After the 1952 Helsinki Olympics adidas acquired its famous three stripe logo from Finnish footwear brand Karhu Sports.

From the 1970s onwards, the close association between adidas and sporting success aided a growth in its popularity as a fashion brand. 1980s street fashion emanating from New York City featured sneakers as a key component, and endorsements by hip-hop artists such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys placed adidas at the front of the pack.

A distinctive culture has developed around the design, marketing and release of fashionable sneakers. Many styles are made only in limited numbers and are highly collectible, often designed with long-term collaborators or guest designers from across creative disciplines. Releases of new styles and collections are often preceded by a period of social media hype.

Kerwin Frost (b. 1995, Harlem, NYC) is a New York-based internet personality, DJ and entertainer known for his distinctive and eclectic street style. Frost developed a passion for clothing at a young age, learning to spot designer pieces in the thrift stores his family shopped at. Frost has been a fixture of the New York art and fashion scene since forming The Spaghetti Boys with Ray Martinez in 2015 and, since their disbandment in 2018, in his own right as an influencer and talk show host via his YouTube channel.

Today, Frost is involved in many aspects of the New York creative scene. He collaborated with a number of brands and designers including Off-White and Heron Preston, as well as Nike. In January 2020, adidas announced a long-term partnership with Frost to design clothing, footwear, and advertising campaigns.

These striking trainers were the result of a collaboration between sportswear brand adidas and media personality, DJ and entertainer Kerwin Frost.

In 2021, Frost adapted the classic 1984 adidas Forum hi-top sneaker, adding a pair of protruding eyes, a human nose and a grinning mouth. The surreal design is reminiscent of the classic toy Mr. Potato Head, and also takes influence from fashion designers Jeremy Scott (another adidas collaborator) and Walter Van Beirendonck who similarly use irreverent imagery, strong combinations of colour and bold graphics.

B.37:1, 2-2023