ADIDAS DROPS COLLABORATION WITH YEEZY - WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Kanye West, also known as Yeezy and Ye, has collaborated with Adidas since 2015 — a collaboration that has now been put to rest. 

What is this going to mean for Ye?

What will this mean for Adidas?

What will this mean for you as a customer?

In this blog post you will learn more about exactly those things.

Enjoy.

The reason why the collaboration stopped

At the end of 2022, Kanye was on Instagram.

A phrase that probably doesn't mean much to you and me, but when it's Kanye, it's a completely different matter.

The rapper has had several episodes on Instagram with bold statements and public shaming.

Violent additions to the long list of beefs that Kanye seems to be accumulating.

But this October affair was particularly unfortunate. Ye made anti-Semitic statements that resulted in several major collaborations being cut short.

And finally, the legendary Adidas Yeezy collaboration.

Broke up on Adidas' terms.

$500 million worth of Yeezy shoes remain unsold

After the collaboration, Adidas is left with over 500 million USD in Yeezy branded shoes.

What should happen to them?

Rumor has it that Adidas and Yeezy have made an agreement to pass the shoes on to a third party who can sell them, but nothing has been confirmed at the time of writing (starting March 2023).

We can only wait and see.

What's going to happen to Yeezy?

Adidas promising cheaper Yeezy will never happen. The collaboration is dead and buried. 

In all its simplicity, this means that popular models, such as Yeezy Slides, Yeezy Boost and all the other iconic models, will no longer be produced.

We only have the Adidas Yeezy that are on the street left. There will be no more.

It can mean several things, depending on which way people are going to move.

Are Yeezy prices going up?

Yeezy has always had a high price on the aftermarket, and that will likely continue.

Prices may even increase.

It's actually a very simple rule.

The supply is getting smaller and smaller, but the demand remains the same. If we follow what it normally does to the value of a product, we can expect prices to increase more and more over time.

This will result in astronomical prices for Adidas Yeezy models, regardless of what sneakers Kanye makes in the future.

The iconic sneakers have shaped the sneaker industry and pushed what you can afford to do with sneakers.

All Yeezy models will eventually become an important piece of sneaker history.

Are Yeezy prices dropping?

Will there be cheaper Yeezy?

It doesn't seem like Yeezy is going to drop in price anytime soon.

So far, it's been like this.

1. Adidas drops the collaboration.
2. Yeezy shoes are still expensive to get.

If prices were to suddenly drop on Yeezy shoes, it would be a big surprise.

Kanye has said some wild things on social media, but it doesn't seem like his fans and sneakerheads around the world have much to say about it.

The rapper's sneakers are still popular.

And honestly, we understand that.

There will always be models that have pushed the sneaker industry, models that stand out in your wardrobe and models that can go with any occasion.

We're definitely not putting our Yeezy Slides on the shelf just yet.

You can probably forget about cheaper Yeezys now.

What will this mean for Kanye West?

Whether any major sneaker brand will collaborate with Ye in the future, only time will tell.

Right now, however, it seems unlikely that any brand would take up a collaboration.

It's not just Adidas that has dropped the collaboration. In addition to the German sportswear giant, the provocative high-fashion brand Balenciaga and the American Gap have also cut ties with the rapper.

Collaborating with Ye isn't easy. It's no secret. And for that very reason, it might seem doubtful that we'll see a collab of Adidas Yeezy proportions again.

What will this mean for Adidas?

Adidas will survive. There is no doubt about that.

The sportswear giant is not dependent on the revenue the Yeezy brand generated, although it is still a lot of money they will lose.

In fact, they themselves have reported that they will lose over 1 billion USD in annual revenue .

Fortunately, the brand has many other well-known bestsellers shaping the market right now, such as Samba , Superstar and Forum 84 .

In addition, Adidas has also, throughout 2022 and 2023, released models that are a bit reminiscent of Yeezy models.

Among other things, the Adilette sandal , which quickly leads thoughts to Yeezy Slides.

It should be remembered that Adidas has also had its name on the shoes. The brand has stated that they can continue to produce Yeezy designs at any time as long as they are without the Yeezy branding.

However, if they choose to do so, it will not have the same interest and hype, as Kanye's name is not included.

It will also likely create even more hype for the original “Yeezy era” Adidas shoes.

Rounding

Yeezy sneakers are not going out of fashion anytime soon.

We are still experiencing high demand, and if that hasn't changed now, the chances are slim that it will actually happen.

This means, as I see it, that Yeezy shoes will increase in price over time.

Supply will dwindle as people choose to wear their Yeezys, but demand will remain high. Over time, this can result in skyrocketing prices, as we see with the iconic Turtle Dove model.

Adidas won't be harmed by the breakup. They'll lose some revenue, but no one can throw mud at the brand based on their decision to end the partnership.

Ye will face adversity if he wants to have a collaboration similar to the one he had with Adidas.

What do you think will happen from here?

Thank you for reading.