Since the Terminator returned looking not entirely unlike a golf club cover, it still got a share of decent makeups - particularly DPMHI's textbook demonstration of how small details make a vast difference, and masterly use of Hyperstrike heel lettering harking back to the prestige of seizing a HOYAS variation.

The battered recent 'Be True' release made the Georgetown version look a little more like the original, looking like the fastest seller from the vintage range of a few months back, but we still had concerns as to whether our withered hearts had any more capacity to love another take on this ankle height classic. It's heartening to see that this design, the odd one out in the legendary ad campaign, and key reference point for the post new year festivities, has been given some more makeups for 2008.

Still on a quest to see decent releases, that in all honestly would look better on ladies, available in smaller sizes, much like the illmatic block colour Uptowns, these fulfill the criteria to some extent. Apparently based on the colours of the Olympic Rings (where Beijing is the current hotspot for all things Nike - keep watching the blogsphere and Crooked over the next 48 or so hours) but for some reason, only three of the five have appeared thus far. The block text has been jettisoned in favour of the stylised variation seen on a similar, much-overlooked blue-on-blue design a few years back, and that Safari print seems like a strange sudden application, but the green takes, allegedly starting in a UK5.5 are a step in the right direction for the ladies, and an interesting choice for the Summer months.

In4mation keep on taking it, and while bringing back the long-lost art of t-shirts as an artform, with the antidote to the lamebrain Google Image design craze via some shirts and outerwear that piss on the competition, their collaboration game is tight as well, working with silhouettes they obviously have huge affection for and remaining entrenched in skate culture. Flipping the old Roots' chorus, “I shall proceed… and continue...” as a motto gets instant attention from our camp too.

A beacon of creativity that stands out without resorting to the usual cop-out of merely repackaging plain wardrobe standards, for this etnies release they've taken the best skate shoe of all time and flipped it with a winning simplicity but added some killer details that capture the spirit of the design's namesake and his superb LA-based SLB store (which stocks In4mation as well as Alyasha's superb Fiberops - who have a collaboration with fellow Sole Technology brand Altamont on the horizon) from the tongue label to the footbed.


The other great shoe that flips the number beautifully, Salvadore Lucas Barbier's Sal 23, changed skate footwear design. Taking elements of the Rap, and keeping it plain, but adding the necessary padding and rubber ollie pad, Sal's status as a skate legend overshadows a place as a sneaker design great (check the S.L.B. - recently slightly tweaked as the eS Arcane and the incredible Sal 97 - as well as his numerous other creations) - you might have a particular favourite makeup when it comes to this shoe, and you might have glimpsed their resurrection a few years back to an unfairly muted response.

Fourteen years after its debut, and with the right creative team driving the project, this release makes a lot more sense. Slimmed down from its original, hugely influential bulge, meaning a less cumbersome fit and added flex from a performance viewpoint, the appeal isn't diminished, even if some might miss that rugged forefoot paneling. There's a black leather version (not pictured) that's reminiscent of the old suede favourite, but for the suedeheads, this bright red take is reminiscent of the Rap's best colourway with an interesting lace choice too. Complimented by a basketball jersey that maintains the aesthetic and feels more project appropriate than the usual garment sidekicks, we saw the samples, kept a watchful eye on the output of all parties concerned, expected good things and definitely weren't disappointed.

etnies have kindly offered us a vest and shoe as a competition prize to a lucky CT user who answers this question -

In what year was the Sal 23 first released?

Accompany the answer with your address and US shoe size and email it to competition@crookedtongues.com with 'SAL 23 COMPETITION' as the subject before the 1st of June 2008 to be in with a chance.

While Europe’s fixation seems, quite understandably, to veer towards the runners, for some CT office dwellers the Forum Mid is a pinnacle of adidas design, so the idea that its 25th anniversary would see some interesting makeovers was welcome. Until we discovered the celebrations would be predominantly held Stateside and were less than happy.

During a visit to the San Francisco 3-Stripe mecca that is Harput's, easily one of the best sneaker stores on the planet and the authentic antidote to the horrors of clone boutiques we got a glimpse of these makeups and were infinitely more enthusiastic than usual.

Designed by team Harput's themselves, and easily the best of a store pack of variable quality, while some lose hair, sleep and man hours in the quest to make something unique, this makeup inspired by the mighty Americana, from that killer colour combo to the mesh and suede toe set on that groundbreaking silhouette, encompasses both adidas’ key court achievements perfectly.

You can keep the repulsive, chunky Uptown knockoff midsole that’s been drifting around lately like a weird loner by a lower school– this release easily eclipses any such pointless modifications. A simple, intelligent idea superbly executed - easily one of the year’s best.

Crooked hollered at Bootsy Harput himself to get his thoughts on his creation, and the current state of shoes…

You see plenty of diehards who have been customers since waaaaay back - how's the Harput's Forum going down with those guys?

This Forum translated quite well to them. Most of these diehards types are around 40 and remember this was their high end model that was coveted in high school.

For them the Forum is a member of a family of 20-30 models that were important adidas products in our community then and now. Its great to hear some people segue from talking about a particular model adidas to talking about the memories of those times they had wearing them.

Are you seeing more and more kids coming in for the cleaner, timeless designs, or are bright balls-out creations still shifting heavy numbers?

This is something that I have a strong opinion about. The walls are narrower for trainers that are in demand and for that matter street wear in general. In regards to the balls out purple neon kids are rocking, I see trend that is past its due date.

Six years back I'd stroll into a certain boutique in New York and find some very select and amazing apparel, accessories, shoes and lifestyle pieces imported from Japan and beyond. I feel like I can't do that anymore you know what I mean? Over here, there are dozens of collaborations that are pure sh*t for sh*ts sake! How many New Era ball caps came out in the last year in pink/yellow/purple neon?

What I call "breaking news street wear blogs" have wielded an enormous amount of power onto the young consumer simply by picking and choosing content to promote. That power in turn leads product managers and marketers in the direction of catering to the consumer with, more of the cycle (or circle jerk) and here we are in 2008.

Do you have a preference between the Americana and the Forum?

I have to go with the Americana. I mean sh*t, Adi Dassler was still around when it was conceived so you know its all good.

Up to this point what was your favourite Forum makeup?

I really liked the simple white with blue stripe, an original from 1983.

Do you remember the original release of the Forum instore?

Back then releases weren't what they are now with a queue and such. Its biggest impact that up ‘till that time, we had never had a shoe sell for $100. That was a huge benchmark for us. In 1983-84 it sold quite well.

We saw some subtle differences between the sample and the final release…

The blue trefoil + adidas lost out to the '25th' logo apparently....

It's a simple idea...but the ABA colours, suede and mesh works so well - had you dabbled with the idea of doing a makeup like this before?

When finalizing the Forum we accomplished bringing together primary colours - the Americana and mesh hooking up in a fundamentally basic manner that harkens to another time when the products were made for the purpose but rocked with status. Simple, and no matching ball cap!

Can we expect any more Harput's adidas colabs in the future?

You've no idea!

Vintage packs have moved on since adidas' yellow sole experiments and Nike's instant olde world applications to become a theme for other brands with a solid heritage. Normally we'd baulk at that kind of accelerated ageing and deem it to be guilty of the crime of biting (Fila...please, no)- but then given the cross-corporation concept trickled down 'homaging' that's a norm nowadays, we'd be here all day pointing the finger. And New Balance has a great pedigree of pioneering creations that are refreshing to see in an archive-style form - the 576s in grey and navy have been classy, wearable highlights of the year thus far.

While it doesn't resonate with the collectors and casual buyers like the flagship 1988 silhouette, the M420 is the grippy, low-profile heir to standards like the 320 released in 1982 to Runner's World acclaim. Once the cutting edge of specialist athletic footwear, it all looks pretty quaint, but the mix of nylon mesh, leather and suede still represents the evolutionary sprint into classic performance shoe shapes.

Originally mooted as part of a trio given the same treatment that carried a superb take on the under-appreciated CT470 court design, to our understanding, now the 420 stands (or runs) alone. An appropriately off-colour midsole, less sharp shades, marks on the suede and stitching that isn't as clinical as current straight styles, making for a solid release and a story that deserves to be told.

Retail in central London is in a dark place at the moment, and it's understandable that when passers-by saw Newburgh Street's much-improved No. 6 space closed a few days back there was a concern that another one had bitten the dust. Not so. Realising that constant change is the key to staying on top, the dayglo refit to herald the Consortium range's seasonal approach was a good start, but now the store really seems to have asserted its own identity via a minimal but effective display system with an industrial look that doesn't feel oppressive and offers movable shoe display. Letting designs like the snakeskin Superstar 86 speak for themselves against the stark backdrop is the best away, rather than canceling it out with lights, labels and bombast.


Anyhow, we'll stop trying to sound like we're authorities on store design and stick to shoes - the main attraction is the 'exploded' Tournament pack releases on display. We've seen dismantled shoes as exhibits before, but usually, for all the ambition and promised spectacle it generally ends up looking a bit bollocks. Ever wanted to see a Stan Smith hovering, in layered, perfectly dismantled pieces? You haven't? We guess it is a bit of a strange aspiration, but take it from us, they look absolutely incredible here. Painstakingly reassembled without losing each design's distinctive identity, we'd recommend paying a visit just to gawp, even if you're not in the market for fresh footwear.