Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has recently escalated his ongoing feud with adidas, accusing the company of producing and selling “fake Yeezys.” This dispute has been made public through a series of candid posts on social media. Ye has not only denounced the legitimacy of the latest Yeezy releases by adidas but also revealed that he is facing a lawsuit from the brand, purportedly valued at $250 million.
Referring to the new colorways of the sneakers he claims he did not design and for which he is not receiving any financial compensation, Ye expressed his discontent, stating, "Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezy I never made these colorways I'm not getting paid off of them and adidas is suing me." This rant comes just hours after adidas officially announced it would begin to release more Yeezy sneakers as part of the company’s plans to offload its remaining inventory.
Tension between Ye and adidas started to surface publicly in 2020. During the summer of 2020, Ye called out adidas during his presidential campaign and demanded a board seat with the brand. He later took to Twitter to post an image of himself wearing the Air Jordan 1 High Court Purple with the caption “mood.” Later, the release of the adidas Adilette 22 Slide, resembling the Yeezy Slide, led Ye to accuse adidas of duplicating his designs. Over the following months, Ye's criticisms became more frequent and pointed, targeting adidas' board members, the brand's handling of the Yeezy sneaker releases, and the company's overall management.
The partnership between Ye and adidas began to deteriorate irreparably following a series of controversial actions and statements from Ye, including the wearing of a "White Lives Matter" shirt and the issuance of antisemitic comments on various media platforms. These actions culminated in the current legal and public relations battle, with adidas reportedly suing Ye for a staggering $250 million.
In addition to his criticisms of adidas, Ye has ventured into independent footwear production, launching the Yeezy Pod. This move garnered significant attention, especially when Ye dramatically reduced the price from $200 to $20, reportedly resulting in $5 million in sales within a single day.
Ye's recent statements on social media, including his dismissal of the new Yeezy 350 releases as "corny" and his claim of not being compensated for shoes bearing his name, further fuel the conflict between the artist and the sportswear giant. As this story continues to develop, both fans of Ye and the broader public await further details on the legal battle between the artist and adidas. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app for more updates on the latest happenings in sneakers and more.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
