Kanye West resurfaced on his Instagram account with sharp words for his brand partner, Adidas.
Kanye West claims Adidas Adilette 22 are fake Yeezy slides
The Adidas-Yeezy collaboration is, perhaps, one of the most lucrative in footwear currently. Every Yeezy sneaker release sells out globally, in a matter of minutes and the appraised value of the product in the resell market speaks volumes about its demand;
However, it seems Ye is considering a clause in his contract where, at a limited capacity, he may be allowed to release Yeezy products independently. At least, this is what the 45-year-old rap-fashion impresario hinted in his Instagram post which, quite fashionably, may be deleted soon (update: he definitely deleted all of his posts while this article was being published).
From what we understand, Mr West’s gripe with Adidas comes from the release of the brand’s Adilette slides which, by the way, look eerily similar to the Yeezy slide.
“To Kasper I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more… These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent. This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by adidas themselves,” Ye exclaimed in his post.
The Adidas Adilette 22 is scheduled to drop in the United States (US) on 23 June 2022, retailing at $55 (est. R882). It remains to be seen whether the brand will respect Ye’s concerns and pull the plug on the release – that’s if Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted bothers to give West the audience he’s requested.
Here is Ye’s full statement directed at Adidas: