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Earlier this month, Complex UK followed rapper and sneakerhead Daniel Desmarais to the Bad Bunny x adidas pop-up in Central London, where he went on a hunt for a pair of exclusive Last Forum sneakers.
Those lucky enough to attend the exclusive event navigated their way to the secret location by following only one small clue: a number of co-ordinates dropped on the CONFIRMED app. Its high demand was clear from the jump as people sped down Carnaby Street to get their hands on the glacial-themed collaboration hidden away in an iced-out cooler at the back of the adidas Originals flagship store, on Fouberts place.
Just a couple of days after the pop-up in London, Daniel and the Complex UK crew flew out to Mexico City in time for the official drop of the Last Forum during the last leg of Bad Bunny’s epic World’s Hottest Touracross Latin America. Spending the three-day trip surrounded by the buzzing energy of Mexican city life, warming sun rays, vibrant street art and widespread greenery aided in envisioning the Last Forum in a different light, contrasting to its sub-zero concept and cool-toned hues.
In fact, seeing Daniel explore what Mexico City has to offer is what brought the creps to life—a perception that is challenging to match just by looking at them on a shelf. “I feel like when the shoes are in the shop, they’re not breathing,” he says while dressed in a velour adidas tracksuit and the Bad Bunny Last Forums, laced in a way to reflect his personal style. “I’ve got the Forums on but I ain’t seen no one lace them or do them like this.”
As we stood outside the White Ice Store, a pop-up in Mexico City dedicated to showcasing the Bad Bunny Last Forums, the theme of a hot-cold duality became obvious—a clear objective of what adidas successfully achieved. While the city was forecasted to hit 22 degrees celsius, the pop-up remained chilled below -3. This stark contrast in temperatures, inspired by merging Bad Bunny’s Peurto Rican influences with the cold scenery in winter months, proved Mexico City to be the ideal location to bring the collaboration to life.
Upon entering the store—after being provided with chunky ski goggles—visitors got an insight into the fanciful world of the Last Forums. People queued along the road, waiting for their turn to go through the store and potentially grab a pair of the in-demand creps. The three-part immersive experience featured a snow room, an icy beach-themed room, an extravagant display of the Last Forums, and a Bad Bunny x adidas branded space decorated with deeply filled fridges containing Horchata cocktails. “This is probably the best pop-up store I’ve seen,” says Daniel, “because the whole installation is based around the shoe and the collab itself. These ski goggles are crazy as well.”
Day three arrives, and it’s time for the main event of the trip: Bad Bunny performing to a sold-out crowd in the largest capacity venue in Latin America.
“The Bad Buddy concert was crazy,” Daniel recalls. “It was a movie! And, probably one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. I like how Bad Bunny was able to keep the vibe from start to finish and perform for almost three hours; I was surprised at how many people were singing his lyrics word for word at the same time. He’s on a different level. The lights were impressive, too. It felt like the Olympics! He even signed a fan’s Bad Bunny Last Forum, which was almost the finishing piece to the trip. The fact that he took his time to write a message on them, not just a signature, shows how much he cares about his fans.”
Bad Bunny has been a global phenomenon since 2020, becoming the most streamed artist on Spotify and maintaining the top spot for three consecutive years—the first artist to achieve such an impressive milestone. While his fanbase spans across the world, and despite being privy to these stats beforehand, it wasn’t until visiting Mexico City for this show that we were able to fully grasp the level of his superstardom and impact.
As passersby screamed at the sighting of the Bad Bunny and adidas logo stamped on the side of our transport van, or when concert goers vociferously sang in unison, the energy and excitement transcended language barriers, enough to turn anyone into a Bad Bunny fan from that moment.
Each day brought on new activities and opportunities to learn about Mexican culture, whether we encountered the work from contemporary artists at the Jumex Museum, shopped at the adidas flagship store, or visited Chapultepec Park—the largest and oldest park in Latin America. From the Last Forum pop-ups in London and Mexico to experiencing the love from his fans at the Bad Bunny concert, there couldn’t have been a better way to celebrate the launch of the long-awaited collaboration.
Although it may be the end of the Bad Bunny Forum series it has most definitely geared excitement towards future Bad Bunny x adidas link-ups as people watch closely for what direction they’re going to take next.
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