FORUM MID

"When the project idea was pitched, we at Crooked raised our voices in favour of reworking the Forum Mid. For us, alongside the Rivalry, Attitude, Concorde and Conductor, despite being released before the second half of the '80s, the Forum represents that era of big basketball shoes, big jackets and Latin Quarter regulars during hip-hop's golden age. It's a perfect shoe, sought after in the early '90s too. We respected C.L. Smooth's shoe game almost (note the almost) as much as his Elektra stablemate Grand Puba, and he rocked the Forum well.

There's no single story as to how the makeup came about, but we can testify as to why we, alongside Tokyo's VA chose this simple mix of colours and materials. Grey and yellow worked extremely well on the Crooked aZX ZX 9000 model, and we wanted to flip it a little with a palette that's associated with running designs above court shoes like this, via the neon pleasures of 'electricity yellow' on the 3-Stripes, Dellinger Webbing and branding. We wanted the shoe to look like it could've been cut from the team in '87 at the last minute rather than looking 2009.

The inevitable contrast stitch debate raged, and the end result was its inclusion, and three sets of laces - grey, neon yellow and a patterned version complete this package. It's the Forum the way we all wanted it."

NIZZA HI

"Sometimes during the collaboration process you've got to compromise. This is a Crooked Tongues compromise. Working alongside Hong Kong's D-Mop store, think of it as a conceptual piece surrounding the distress that excess distressing treatments to a shoe can cause. We had plans for ballistic nylon, and at discussion stage (fortunately scrapped, because over the pond, the US team had already designed one), marl grey sweatshirt fabric was mooted. The end result? A vintaged, 'battle damaged' version of an authentic Nizza colourway.

We're usually more of an uncompromising bunch who favour cleanliness, but D-Mop were fascinated by the idea of annihilating them before they left the box. Stained, scuffed and yellowed down to the outsole, this ankle-high early '70s vulcanized design, maintains the canvas upper and leather 3-Stripes, finished with a blue top eyelet. Traditionalism meets total destruction. As for our other ideas, they're still ready to roll out when the opportunity arises again."

SAMBA

"You know the Samba from its training shoe origins, but you've never seen it like this. The onetime terrace favourite in its more outdoor-friendly silhouette (as opposed to the affordable, almost ubiquitous 5-a-side 'flatter' version) is also pretty bike-friendly. That's a bonus in the era of fixed-gear mania, but made over with shuttlecock inspiration via China's ACU and Japan's VA? That's something very, very different, yet it makes a certain sense, seeing as this model could easily accommodate badminton too.

Green, yellow and purple 3-Stripes represent bright feathers - depicted more literally as images on the sockliner. They're reflective too, as are the more sober black lace panels and heeltab, and while the blue suede on the upper makes a concession to classicism, the completely transparent panelling on the forked forefoot detailing and beneath the side branding brings back the shock of the new.

Set atop an appropriately clear cup sole unit, the alternate 'ACU' and 'VA' logos on the left and right shoe tongues, green top eyelet, choice of matching laces, plus yellow, red and blue tops to the heel Trefoils adds even more colourful touches to a shoe that serves up something far from subtle. Appropriately, given its sporting theme, by jettisoning any excess of leathers, this makeover is borderline featherweight too."

STAN SMITH

"ACU and D-Mop have brought some artisan style to the Stan Smith Vintage silhouette for this collection. Using the gloss finish on premium leather, and exploiting the palette the Stan Smith's pristine upper provides, the inspiration for the super detailed blue 'painting' comes from Chinese porcelain creations. The result is a unique looking design that takes the concept and runs with it, managing to add enough to the shoe to make their mark without rendering it a busy mess. That's quite a skill.

Beyond the obvious elements, the top eyelet, gold stitch on the midsole, and gold print along the collar evokes the gilding on ornate porcelain pieces, while the application of a plain nubuck toe to the shoe gives it a certain air of the much-loved Wilhelm Bungert model. That's not the intent though - it captures the coarser look  and fortunately not the feel, of the unvarnished base of a plate or pot made using the centuries-old method.  Mixing street style with a certain grace, this meeting of iconic looks is finished with the matching matt effect  'ENDORSED BY...' tongue detailing carrying the design partner logos, and a more delicate approach to calligraphy down the heels."

SUPERSTAR

"The Superstar 80s is, for us, the definitive cut of a legendary shoe. We've been keen to play with this model for years - for 3Way, the opportunity arose. The problem with getting a Superstar to rework is that we found ourselves confused as to what to do with something so close to all our hearts without damaging that legacy, both personal and further reaching, and after all the attention it's had since it's 35th anniversary in 2005, what new looks can we bring to the table. First things first - this is a shoe that needs to be kept clean - there's no room for funny business. A nap suede was the original sample fabric, but this ultimately switched this to off-white nubuck. Yes, it's easily marked, but keeping your shoes fresh has been part of the challenge for connoisseurs since the days when copping a pair of Shelltoes was a Herculean challenge.

Correlating suede 3-Stripes and heeltab, a black stitch along the midsole matching the top metal eyelet, a perforated premium lining and matching footbed finished with embroidery are 'quiet' details that work as a whole to make this our vision of Superstar perfection.

Each team store was allocated its own embossed tongue - VA opted for a grey and yellow, D-Mop went for a snake-effect pattern that incorporates browns, ACU chose green and we opted for Burgundy as a trademark colour. A more impartial option comes in the shape of a black one that carries all the names. A collection of laces, including an off-white pair, greys, burgundies, greens and blacks means a perfect match, and for starters, 5 individual looks in 1 package without any compromises on quality."

THIS MODEL IS TEAM RETAILER, EXCLUSIVE TO CROOKED TONGUES AND A FEW O-STORES OUTSIDE OF ASIA.