It was a turbulent time for adidas, but it looks like the YEEZY chapter has finally come to a close. The beginning of the end started in 2022, but had a long aftermath that was not always neat. Now that adidas is rid of all the leftovers, the brand is finally putting an end to this era.
“There is not one Yeezy shoe left,” told adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer. “It has all been sold and that episode is behind us.”
What was once one of the most influential (and profitable) collaborations in the sneaker industry has turned into a major fiasco. Rapper and designer Ye, better known as Kanye West, founded a sublabel at adidas in 2014 and achieved great success with silhouettes like the YEEZY Boost 350, Boost 700 and SLIDE.
The split was announced in 2022, after the controversial artist became discredited over anti-Semitic statements. At the end of that year, adidas announced that the brand would sell the remaining stock of YEEZYs, despite the expected financial loss. This turned out to be better than expected, partly due to the success of silhouettes such as the Samba, Gazelle, and Campus.
Since the break-up, adidas has had a tough time. Ye have been spouting, speculating, and ranting a lot, but it seems that all this is now officially over now that adidas does not have a single YEEZY in their stockists. Thank god.
In 2022, adidas ended its partnership with Kanye West (Ye) following his anti-Semitic statements and controversial behavior.
Since the break-up in 2022, adidas sold the remaining YEEZYs, despite the financial loss, and donated part of the proceeds to charity.
