Yeezy, a brand name that is synonymous with pop stars, professional athletes and sneakerheads across the world. Whether you like Kanye West or not, you cannot deny the impact that Yeezy has had on fashion culture in the 21st century. In our blog post this week, we take a closer look at the history behind the brand and the inspirational cues that Kanye West uses to design some of the most recognisable sneakers in the world. To us the Yeezy brand represents a fusion of futuristic and minimalist design, but that’s just today. Yeezy is the brainchild of one of the well known names in both the fashion and music world.

Kanye West’s relationship with the fashion world and the evolution of the Yeezy brand

As a child, Kanye West like many others had a keen interest in sneakers. Although he was born in Atlanta, he was raised in Chicago and if you know Chicago in the 1980s – 1990s, almost every kid was obsessed with anything Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls related. West stated in an interview: “when I was in fourth grade, I was drawing Jordans when my mama couldn’t afford them. I was drawing those Jordans. I was getting kicked out of class for drawing them” – Kanye West, BBC Radio 1.

In 2005, one year after winning his first Grammy, West felt he was ready to make his mark in the fashion world. Stating that he had plans to release a new clothing line called Pastelles in spring of 2006. The clothing line was developed over the years but was eventually cancelled in 2009. With the Pastelles brand behind him, some fashion figures doubted West’s efforts as a fashion designer, with some even labelling him as “just a one of those celebrity designers” or “not a proper designer”. In a bid to broaden his knowledge of the industry, West interned at Fendi in 2009 where he helped develop the Fendi collection for men. Despite all of his efforts, West still couldn’t break down those barriers to the industry which lead him to sought alternative routes, aka the sneakerworld.

In summer of 2009, West debuted his first ever sneaker collection with the luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton. In that same year, the Nike Air Yeezy line also dropped, which was also the first time Nike had ever offered a shoe deal to someone that wasn’t an athlete. The Nike Air Yeezy sneakers were produced in extremely low quantities and sold out in seconds, making Kanye West and his Yeezy brand a staple in the sneaker world. Many believe that West’s collaboration with the iconic Swoosh paved the way for future collaborations with non-athletes.

The start of the Adidas x Yeezy Era

West has gone on to say that he wants Yeezy to be bigger than sneakers, citing this as the main reason for his departure from Nike. In 2013, West officially partnered with Adidas as they offered him more creative freedom in his designs. Additonally, under this partnership West and his design team would be given the opportunity to release a full clothing collection that wasn’t just limited to shoes. The Adidas x Yeezy collection utilises earth tones and more minimalist/futuristic designs.

This collection (while it’s not for everyone) signifies West’s growth as a fashion designer and creative eye. Despite the fact that the collection has moved away from bright colours and heavy branding, Yeezys are some of the most recognisable shoes today and they rarely feature a Yeezy or Adidas logo. The unique design and functionality of the shoe speak for themselves, not the brand – which I love. Don’t get me wrong, I like to rock a logo on a shoe now and again but it’s nice to change things up and rock a shoe that takes on a more simplistic approach.

Some Yeezys I love

Easily the most recognisable and best selling sneaker from the collection, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is an absolute staple for most sneakerheads. Why? Because they look great and they’re super easy to style. Oh and thanks to Adidas’ Boost cushioning technology and prime knit uppers, the 350 is also one of the most comfortable sneakers on the market. Throw on a pair of jeans and run around town with them or rock them with your favourite sweats to achieve that ultimate street look. As a fan of chunky sneakers too, the Yeezy 700 line is also a personal favourite too.

Adidas x YEEZY

Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zyon
£400

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Carbon”
£434

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Zebra”
£740

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Desert Sage”
£490

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Tail Light”
£834

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Marsh”
£422

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 700 “Magnet”
£786

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner”
£849

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy 500 “Blush”
£679

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy 700 “Arzareth”
£237

Adidas x YEEZY
YZY QNTM “Yeezy Quantum”
£298

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Powerphase “Quiet Suede”
£118

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy 500 “High ‘Slate”
£237

Adidas x YEEZY
YZY QNTM “Yeezy Quantum”
£298

Adidas x YEEZY
Yeezy Powerphase “Quiet Suede”
£118

The inspiration cues behind Yeezy

If you look at the Nike and Adidas collaboration it’s kind of like night and day. When West was signed with Nike, most of the design influences were reminiscent of Jordans and other existing Nike shoes. His latest designs with Adidas, take on a much broader approach. For example, West went on to say that the bible has been a source of influence for his collection. His decision to utilise less materials and monochromatic colours stems from specific teachings in the bible, which states that “you are not to wear clothing made from two different kinds of material”.

Other influences come from movies he watched as a child. The anime anime Akira has been a major source of inspiration to Yeezy as West has taken colour palettes and shapes from the movie and applied it to his designs. West said: “Akira, the movie Akira. My mom took me to see Akira when I was really young and the shapes, and the colour palettes and the general mood of the film had always been a big inspiration for Yeezy” – Kanye West, Forbes 2019. This is possibly why Yeezy went on to create hiking and motorcycle styled boots in their collection.

West also draws inspiration from his love of automobiles when designing his shoes. As a child he recalls being obsessed with the Lamborghini Countach and the aesthetics of the car. The sole of the Yeezy 700 and 700 V2 features bold and sharp angular ridge detailing, similar to the sharp lines of a Lamborghini supercar. Other models such as a 350 line are very sleek and streamlined in the front, reminiscent of a classic supercar design. He also states that his process of working on a shoe model is similar to how someone would work on a car. Yeezy is known for having hundreds of samples (prototypes as West calls them) of a shoe, and fine tuning all of them before a final design eventually reaches market.

The future of the Yeezy brand

It takes time and dedication to keep a brand relevant, especially in one as saturated as the fashion and sneaker industry. Love or hate Kanye West and the Yeezy brand, but I think it’s inspiring to see an individual work so hard to be taken seriously in an industry that doubted him from day one. West and his brand could have easily stayed with Nike and kept designing hyped up shoes that fly off the shelves. Instead he chose to risk his own brand and leave to work with another company to help bring his creative vision alive. Today Yeezy is continuing to evolve by experimenting with new silhouettes, colours and materials.

West has gone on to say that the ultimate long term goal for him is to make Yeezy a household name and to increase the brands accessibility to the general market. Adidas and Yeezy are already doing this by increasing the frequency and size of sneaker drops each year. In the future both Adidas and Yeezy want to ensure that everyone who wants a pair will be able to get them. As West continues to build up his presence in the fashion world, I’m personally excited to see what future designs are coming.

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Author: Chloe Pang