Every sneaker head knows about the drama with rapper Kanye West and Adidas. The Yeezy collection was temporarily cancelled by Adidas in October 2022 due to Kanye West’s anti-Semitic comments and conspiracies that were harmful to greater society. The German sportswear brand then decided to cut ties with the rapper as they stand against Ye’s personal beliefs, thus ended their partnership and suffered a dramatic loss in sales as a result.
This caused a massive discussion not only within the sneaker world but also in wider society as many people understood Adidas’ decision however was not ready for their favourite sneaker to become just a piece of the past. A Yeezy frenzy overcame the resell market as sneakerheads tried to get their hands on any pair that they could while they were still present, in fears of missing out forever.
The partnership between Ye and Adidas was cancelled up until recently, as Adidas decided to put up a range of Yeezy’s available to purchase again. The shoes have been sold to resolve Adidas’ issue of overflowing stock, however also mentioned that an undisclosed portion of profits will be donated to multiple organisations. The CEO of Adidas, Bjørn Gulden, justified this release of Yeezys as “We believe (selling and donating these Yeezys) is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities…”. This conclusion was met after Gulden discussed with the organisations impacted by Kanye’s insensitive comments, creating a solution for both parties involved.
Despite all the controversy, the Yeezy line has remained stable for the most part, with the more popular items selling for more, and less popular items for less. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re cheap. The retail value of Yeezy’s can be $400+ therefore pushing their resell market price even higher. This is because the Yeezy line is not your ordinary collection of shoes. They are exclusive, limited and crafted with premium materials that your feet will thank you for. The shoes are considered to be very valuable to many and are also constantly in high demand. We know this story goes; high demand equals high price. Though the justification of buying Yeezy’s at these prices are debatable, it’s clear to see that there is definitely a market for these sneakers.
Another factor contributing to the high price of Yeezys are the classic colourways. One of the notable releases is the Yeezy Boost 350 Turtledove, which is a re-release of the original Turtledove in 2015. This shoe created a pivotal moment in fashion as it combined sportswear with fashion, while also being comfortable. Kanye was seen wearing the iconic Turtledove pattern on red carpets as well as on stage, demonstrating its versatility, and creating astronomical hype.
The Yeezy Boost 350 “Pirate Black” is also a notable release from Yeezy and Adidas. This colourway is almost entirely black, with dark grey detailing woven into the upper, similar to the above-mentioned Turtledove. It also has red stitching on the heel tab, that provides a splash of colour without distracting from the rest of the shoe. These sneakers are also a highly sought-after pair, as this shoe follows their original release back in 2015 and had a massive influence on sneakerheads, considering it’s comfort and versatility due to its minimalist style. Now that the Pirate Black colorway has been re-released by Adidas, it has lived up to the original hype that it created when they first came out, explaining why the shoe was rapidly sold out from the retail release, and quickly hit the resell market.
Now we know the impact that Yeezy has on the sneaker world, so what can we expect to see next? Although there hasn’t been any official statements from Adidas about new releases, there have been speculations by sneaker enthusiasts and insiders on potential upcoming releases based on rumours and leaks. Some of the rumoured Yeezy sneakers that may be released in the future include the Yeezy Boost 350 and 700 in various muted colorways such as the “Utility Black” colorway, as well as more vivid marbled pattern Yeezy Slides. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these rumours and speculations are not confirmed by Adidas and plans for future releases can change at any time. It’s also common for Yeezy sneakers to be released in limited quantities, making them highly sought-after among collectors and sneaker enthusiasts alike. As such, we will just have to stay tuned for official announcements from Adidas regarding future releases. Will you cop the next drop?
