NBA Players Face Dilemma with Yeezy Sneakers
In 2016, rapper Kanye West claimed that Yeezy (his signature sneaker brand with Adidas) jumped over Jumpman (Jordan Brand). While it was a shocking claim, it was not inconceivable.
Thanks to a lucrative partnership with Adidas, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) defined an era of footwear and fashion. Forbes reported that the Yeezy sneaker line made $1.3 billion in sales in 2020.
What started as lifestyle shoes quickly branched out into performance models. The futuristic sneakers were a stark contrast to the retro models that are the lifeblood of Jordan Brand.
For quite some time, Yeezys were inescapable. Whether in schools, airports, or restaurants, the knit shoes were everywhere. Perhaps no setting had a higher presence of Yeezys than the NBA.
To this day, Adidas athletes regularly wear the lifestyle models before and after games - often highlighted in their pregame fit pics. A select few players have even played games in the performance models.
Adidas Yeezy QNTM
Boston Celtics guard Carsen Edwards wearing Adidas Yeezy QNTM.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
While it took years for Ye to build a footwear and fashion empire, it took weeks to tear it down. Yesterday, Adidas terminated its partnership with Ye over his recent antisemitic remarks.
The German company is the latest business partner to cut ties with the controversial rapper. A few hours later, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown announced he was no longer represented by Ye's sports agency - Donda Sports.
Following the swift fallout, many NBA players are left with a closet full of Yeezy sneakers and a moral dilemma. Is it possible to separate the art from the artist? Or is wearing Ye's sneakers condoning his vile and dangerous rhetoric?
We are unlikely to see NBA players wear Yeezy basketball shoes on the court again. They were never that popular, and there are plenty of other acceptable Adidas models to wear during the game.
However, Adidas has always struggled to keep up with Nike and Jordan Brand in lifestyle models. Our initial guess is that professional athletes will either continue to wear Yeezy sneakers off the court or switch to designer-brand footwear in its replacement.
The Yeezy sneaker line made Adidas competitive in that area for almost an entire decade. Now Adidas is back where it started. The Adidas Forum series is just an attempt at beating Nike at its own game.
Adidas is still the sole owner of the models and can easily remove Yeezy branding (a common practice among sneaker companies). However, it remains to be seen if the demand for the sneakers will still be there.
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