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Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy jumped over Jumpman?

Kanye West has been busy throughout the year, releasing at least one shoe per month. His footwear line Yeezy collaboration with adidas either already released or is planning to release several shoes: adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Mauve” and “Static;” adidas Yeezy 500 “Salt” and “Ultraviolet;” adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 in “Triple White,” “Zebra,” “Sesame,” “Semi-Frozen Yellow,” and “Static.” Kanye West, following in the footsteps of streetwear giant Supreme, released newspaper covers adorned with various translations of “We Love” on the New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Detroit Free Press, and The Detroit News on September 21. It is a bold move by Kanye to promote the restock of the Triple White Yeezy Boost 350 v2, the widest release ever with over a million pairs coming to market. Previously, Yeezys were as limited as 20,000 shoes but with a difference of several orders of magnitude, it will be interesting to see where Kanye will go with so much more supply.

In other news, Kanye’s next album YANDHI was originally scheduled to drop on September 29, but after his bizarre musical performance with Lil Pump and rant supporting Trump on SNL, Kanye decided to push the release date back to Black Friday, November 23, and said he wanted to record in Africa. Kanye did make a visit to Uganda and distributed his Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Triple White” sneakers to children there. However, after performing with Kid Cudi as Kids See Ghosts at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles on November 11, Kanye tweeted that he would delay the album even further. Undoubtedly, many people were frustrated with the progress of the album, myself included, but I suppose it is to be expected with Kanye. He is also linked to the beef between hip-hop artists Pusha-T and Drake. Kanye became a target of Drake with lyrics such as “Then Kanye flopped, it was polos and backpacks” on Know Yourself and “Yeah, keepin’ it G, I told her ‘don’t wear no 350s ‘round me’” on French Montana’s single No Stylist. Personal flaws aside, when taking Drake’s OVO sneaker collaborations with Jordan Brand into consideration, I would easily take Kanye’s shoes any day. Kanye West also met with President Trump on October 11 to talk about prison reform and other issues. He gifted President Trump a pair of Yeezys in size 12 and a custom hat with “Make America Great,” leaving out the “Again” part of the phrase. I believe Kanye’s outspoken political stance has alienated his fans but not enough to significantly impact his sneaker sales. Simple economics dictates that more supply does not lead to more demand but the opposite occurs.

Regardless, he seems to want to deliver on his promise to have everyone wear Yeezys. Kim Kardashian also keeps teasing new silhouettes of Yeezys that seem to have transparent and glow-in-the-dark outsoles that will arrive in 2019. Kanye also teased a new Yeezy Basketball sneaker and gifted a sample pair of Yeezy 700 VX to controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine and his manager, TreyWay. However, there is already talk in the NBA that the association will ban Yeezy Basketball shoes, which recalls Michael Jordan’s trials and tribulations while wearing his signature sneaker sponsored by Nike playing in the league. Kanye also shared a sketch of upcoming designs for 2019: Yeezy Boost 700 v3, Yeezy Boost 350 v3, Yeezy Boost 451, Yeezy 1050, Yeezy Boost 500 v2, and Yeezy Terrex.

At the end of the day, Yeezys are comfortable and still a fashion statement but if demand does not keep up then Yeezys will no longer sell out. When Yeezys are sitting on shelves, they lose their cool factor and no longer appeal as much to people. I consider anything over $200 to be a lot of money to pay for footwear so there is no reason to purchase Yeezys unless it is a really good colorway or limited release. My favorite Yeezy will always be the “Zebra” colorway but Kanye increasing the quantity of Yeezys drives down demand. The past Yeezy releases (2017 and after) include Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Beluga 2.0,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Blue Tint,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Butter,” Yeezy 500 “Blush,” Yeezy 500 “Super Moon Yellow,” Yeezy 500 “Utility Black,” Yeezy Calabasas Powerphase “Black,” Yeezy Boost 950). Even now, the older colorways (2016 and before: Yeezy Boost 750 “White,” Yeezy Boost 750 “Glow,” Yeezy Boost 750 “Chocolate,” Yeezy Boost 750 “Triple Black,” Yeezy Boost 350 v1 “Oxford Tan,” Yeezy Boost 350 v1 “Turtle Dove,” Yeezy Boost 350 v1 “Pirate Black,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Solar Red,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Copper,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Olive Green,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Oreo,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Beluga 1.0,” Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Black Red,” Yeezy Calabasas Powerphase “White,” Yeezy Calabasas Powerphase “Gray”) are more special and valuable because they have been left alone but I wonder if that will change. Of course, it will be easier for ordinary people who are fans of Kanye and the Three Stripes to buy his shoes whereas mostly sneakerheads scooped up pairs in previous drops. However, I do not know if there will be enough demand to sustain the Yeezy brand. As much as I love Kanye’s outsize impact on the culture, Yeezys are not that special anymore.

It is almost embarrassing nowadays to be seen in the newest pair of Yeezys because there is a lot more stock. Fashion is an industry more sensitive to the demand of consumers compared to industries like automobiles or smartphones. Having the newest iPhone is not the same as having the newest Yeezy (coming from a comparison Kanye made on Twitter), especially since the silhouette of the familiar 350 v2 has not been changed in a while. I feel like Kanye has good intentions, but his strategies with adidas are backfiring. Part of the appeal of Yeezys was not just the unique silhouettes but also the exclusivity associated with wearing them. Limited quantities were released online and in stores for past sneakers, but that seems to be changing. I guess I should not be surprised since Kanye did say he wanted everyone to have Yeezys. Besides the fact that Yeezys look like Nike Roshe sneakers, another subtle factor that is hurting Yeezys is that I have not seen many people wear these on the court, which is usually a good sign of how much popular appeal a shoe has. Fashion trends come and go but the need for athletic performance will always remain. I have seen many Off-White Nike sneakers on and off the field but almost no adidas Yeezys. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have much love for the Trefoil but up until last year, Yeezys had me excited. Not anymore. Kanye’s sneakers released with Nike, Louis Vuitton, and A Bathing Ape demonstrate a higher level of creativity and willingness to experiment while quality control is high on all three collaborations. This is why they will always have a special place in my heart as opposed to adidas. Kanye’s legacy as an indelible part of the adidas brand that will probably last the longest and there is nothing wrong with that. Despite that, maybe it is time to move on from Yeezys and adidas after they peaked in 2016.

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