Rumors that musician/shoe designer/famous person Kanye West would release his next line of Yeezy footwear without partner Adidas have proved to be wrong, and then some: West and Adidas have instead announced an expanded partnership, including retail locations that will be dedicated solely to the Yeezy product line.
And while there have been plenty of other celebrity/footwear alliances in the past — including recently, actor Kevin Hart and Nike — West and Adidas claim this is new alliance is “unprecedented,” and that it “makes history as the most significant partnership ever created between a non-athlete and an athletic brand.”
With West on board as a creative partner, the adidas + West will be a Yeezy branded entity, with footwear, apparel, and accessories “for all genders across street and sport.” Eventually, that effort will include retail stores that will serve as hubs for the new Yeezy products.
West and Adidas have worked together for the past two years on sneakers, resulting in the Yeezy BOOST 750 (now selling online for as much as $1,000), followed by the Yeezy BOOST 350. Though some reports in May indicated that their was trouble in paradise, today’s announcement sounds more like a vow renewal than a divorce.
“These past two years adidas and YEEZY have given a glimpse into our future,” West said in the press release. “This partnership illustrates that anyone with a dream can dream without limitations.”
Anyone with a dream, and also maybe a huge rap career and a big pile of money.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist