“La palabra ambicioso no está permitido ser utilizada a mi alrededor.” Abrir su entrevista de portada con GQ de tal manera es seguro, si no corto de arrogante de Kanye West. “Kanye West no es nada si no ambicioso. Porque la ambición, cuando la escucho, dice que parece que es casi imposible”. En sus propias palabras, nada es tan imposible para Kanye. El productor musical de 42 años convertido en magnate del calzado ha tenido un ascenso meteórico en los últimos 24 años. Una vez un creador de discos relativamente desconocido de Chicago,West se ha convertido en una de las personas más bien documentadas del planeta.
Eso se debe, por supuesto, al trabajo duro y a la energía implacable. Para Kanye West,estas dos cosas han sido tope en él desde que era un niño. Su madre, Donda West, fue una ex profesora de inglés en la Universidad Clark Atlanta antes de retirarse para convertirse en su mánager. Poner todo lo que puedas en todo lo que haces es lo que ha hecho de Kanye un éxito. A medida que han pasado los años, hay dos áreas en las que Kanye ha permanecido especialmente influyente; moda y calzado.
Aquí, echaremos un vistazo a cómo los diseños de zapatillas y el conocimiento de calzado de Kanye West lo han llevado de un colaborador a un multimillonario. Explicaremos cómo el proceso detrás de los diseños de Yeezus ha cambiado a medida que maduraba, mostrando todo, desde BAPE hasta Louis Vuitton. Sin más demora, echemos un vistazo más de cerca a los diseños de zapatillas de Kanye West.
A BATHING APE BAPESTA De Kanye West (2007)
La colaboración de Kanye con A BATHING APE de Nigo comenzó a ponerlo en el mapa de la comunidad de zapatillas. En 2007, Kanye West recibió la oportunidad de crear su propia zapatilla BAPESTA, lo que provocó un fenómeno global. Refiriéndose al motivo del rapero ahora olvidado sobre el motivo del oso, la Kanye West BAPESTA se ha convertido desde entonces en una de las zapatillas más buscadas del planeta.
Nike Air Yeezy I (2009)
En los Grammy de 2008, Kanye West apareció en el escenario con una silueta de Nike nunca antes vista. La comunidad de zapatillas comenzó a buscar a lo largo y ancho tratando de nombrar el modelo. Una lengua acolchada gruesa, correa en la parte delantera y suela Air Tech Challenge 2 era completamente nueva. ¿Qué era este misterioso zapato? Pasaron los días antes de que se revelara que era una colaboración. Eso fue todo. Pandemonium.
Esta fue la primera colaboración de Nike que no fue con un atleta de autor. Había preguntas sobre si la zapatilla alguna vez vería una fecha de lanzamiento. Pasó un año antes de que hubiera más noticias sobre las Nike Air Yeezy y finalmente, el lanzamiento mundial el 4 de abril de 2009. Kanye West había comenzado sus colaboraciones deportivas con Nike de manera espectacular, vendiendo los zapatos de todo el mundo en cuestión de segundos. A medida que las cosas avanzaban, aparentemente no había nada que Kanye no pudiera hacer en el mundo de la moda.
Kanye West para Louis Vuitton (2009)
En el verano de 2009, Kanye West reveló que se le había dado la oportunidad de trabajar con la casa de moda francesa Louis Vuitton. Después de haber usado las mochilas de la marca durante varios años, Kanye reveló de la verdadera manera Kanye que LV se había puesto en contacto con él para trabajar juntos. Llevando a su ya desaparecido blog, Yeezus se hizo un video diciendo: “¿A quién conoces con dos pulgares y su propio zapato Louis? ¡Este tipo!”
Kanye West para Louis Vuitton marcó un tiempo cambiante en alta moda y streetwear. Mientras que los dos siempre habían sido considerados mundos separados, West aparentemente había reunido a los dos. Su influencia y capacidad significaron que había roto una de las marcas más duras del planeta. En una entrevista con DAZED, West reveló que Louis Vuitton se había puesto en contacto con él para trabajar juntos. Para su colaboración, Kanye West diseñó tres zapatos en múltiples colores; el Hudson, el Jasper y el Don.
Nike Air Yeezy II (2012)
Cuando la Nike Air Yeezy 2 fue finalmente desvelada, el bombo fue como nada visto en la comunidad de zapatillas antes. El diseño era completamente nuevo, tomando referencia de Egipto y usando patrones similares a los animales. Aunque, de nuevo, la especulación eventualmente se liberaría, la gente ahora sabía cómo era la zapatilla. En 2012, era hora de que Nike lanzara el Air Yeezy 2 en “Pure Platinum” y “Solar Red”.
5.000 pares de cada zapato liberado. Sin embargo, había líneas alrededor del mundo mucho antes de que la zapatilla cayera. Las tiendas comenzaron a experimentar colas días antes de que las zapatillas cayeron, dejando una tienda para decirle a los sneakerheads que el zapato cuesta más de $2,000. Esto no los desatreó. Cuando el zapato finalmente cayó por $245, rápidamente comenzó a revender por más de $4,000. Esta fue una de las zapatillas más rentables para revender en la historia.
Leaving for adidas?
Now, Kanye was experiencing freedom in his sneaker choices. He rocked brands like Karhu and other high fashion brands. Then, rumours began to swirl that a Kanye would soon work with adidas. This was a big deal. As a previous wearer of Nikes and Air Jordans, working with adidas was something that many were sceptical over. Kanye working with adidas? It would never happen. That was until it was announced that it was true.
Nike Air Yeezy II “Red October” (2014)
By 2013, things were looking good for Nike and Yeezy. A mysterious “Red October” pair of his Yeezy 2s had been seen online and the rapper even wore them at SXSW Festival. However, things began to slowly decline. Kanye had become more outspoken against Nike, claiming that they had not given him any royalties from the sales of his Nike shoe. He began to publically shame the brand, leaving many to question whether or not the relationship would soon end.
With the elusive “Red Octobers” seemingly disappearing into existence, Nike dropped the most sought after sneaker of all time in the most nonchalant way of all time. On February 9th, 2014 Nike tweeted “The Nike Air Yeezy II Red October is now available.” The news broke the internet. A shock drop of this proportion was unheard of in the sneaker community. Nike had the last laugh, selling out Kanye West’s most exclusive sneaker with relative ease.
adidas Yeezy 750 (2015)
Several months and a bitter public dispute between Nike and Kanye West had left the sneaker community in limbo. There was no further news on the adidas x Yeezy, leaving many to believe what had come of the collaboration. Early reports suggested that a new model was on the way, but with no images, it was hard to believe. Then, in February 2015, exactly one year and three months after the collab was announced, adidas announced that the first Yeezy sneaker was on the way. “Yeezy Season 1” was coming.
The adidas Yeezy Boost 750 OG was similar to the previous Nike Yeezys, with a strap across the front. Many questioned whether or not Kanye was a one-trick pony, simply using a similar design on his new collabs. The sneaker was also a lot more expensive than his Nike collabs, retailing at €350. To say sneakerheads were a little let down was an understatement.
adidas Yeezy Boost 350 (2015)
Whilst sneakerheads may not have fallen in love with the 750 straight away, the 350 was a different story. This was the first time that Kanye had looked to use a low top silhouette in Yeezy history. A full Primeknit upper with a clever pattern across the top was simple, yet effective. Unlike previous Yeezys, the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 was something people could wear every day. It opened up a world of possibilities and opted for a much sleeker silhouette overall. It became a huge success from right from the start.
adidas Yeezy 950 (2019)
Another silhouette that caught the attention of some (not all) was the Yeezy Duck Boot. With Kanye given more creative freedom under adidas, he introduced a military-inspired silhouette dubbed the adidas Yeezy 950. Featuring a combination of suede, nylon and a durable plastic sole, the 950 was a very divisive model. It was not one that was an instant hit but given that it was one of the first Yeezy shoes that were not a sneaker.
adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 (2016)
With Kanye and adidas seemingly taking over the sneaker world, it was time to introduce some new silhouettes. After the successful launch of four adidas Yeezy 350s in little over a year, a successor was on the way. Dubbed simply the “V2”, there were some new changes to its predecessor.
First of all, it featured a large stripe across the front bearing “SPLY-350”. An updated Primeknit upper had also been used, showing the development of Kanye’s style with adidas. Thicker rope laces were also used, with the heel tab now being absent. Finally, the semi-translucent Boost midsole and much wider shape gave it more depth.
Now, over four years later, the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is single-handedly the most popular Yeezy of all time. With almost 50 colourways, there is no denying the Yeezy effect on the world of sneakers. This shoe alone is what has helped Kanye West become a billionaire with his Yeezy brand.
adidas Yeezy Powerphase “Calabasas” (2017)
This is technically not a Yeezy but it does showcase the versatility in Kanye’s style. Taking this classic 1980s adidas Powerphase silhouette, Kanye West dressed the sneaker in cream leather and applied a gold leather “Calabasas” logo down the side. Sometimes, less really is more when it comes to design.
adidas Yeezy Boost 700 (2017)
With dad sneakers seriously on-trend in 2017, Kanye West and adidas launched their own. The adidas Yeezy Boost 700 was a big change from previous Yeezy silhouettes. A chunky midsole unit was contrasted by mesh, suede and leather panelling in bold colours. It was one of the most sought after sneakers of the year, showcasing Kanye’s ability to keep his designs up to date. Since then, the 700 has remained a favourite of sneakerheads all over the globe.
adidas Yeezy 500 (2018)
As Kanye’s utility aesthetic became more prominent, he began experimenting with more and more styles. Having previously been shared by close friend IBN Jasper, the Yeezy 500 was a brand new model altogether. The first adidas Yeezy to not use Boost, the 500 made an exciting change to the traditional style. A combination of mesh and suede, as well as the adiPrene sole, gave this sneaker an added edge. Other than the Yeezy 350 V2, this is the next best selling silhouette.
adidas Yeezy Boost 700 V2 (2018)
After the success of the 700, it was time to start changing the design. Early in 2018, Kanye had been spotted rocking an updated version of the 700, aptly dubbed the adidas Yeezy Boost 700 V2. It featured a largely similar construction to its big brother but had a much sleeker design on the upper. Reflective stripes and panelling on the upper made it a big hit, so when the first colourway launched, it was an instant sell-out.
adidas Yeezy DSRT BOOT (2019)
With 2019 underway, Kanye began to venture back towards his military-inspired aesthetic. The DSRT BOOT was another durable piece of footwear from Yeezy, sharing a similar design approach to the 500 but an entirely different sole unit. It was not one of the most successful designs from Kanye, but it still sold out instantly.
adidas Yeezy Boost 380 (2019)
Originally thought to be the Yeezy 350 V3, the 380 was a brand new silhouette again. Sneakerheads were excited about the prospect of a new model, especially one with a much higher cut. Another Primeknit upper was used, this time with a semi-translucent stripe on the side and a brand new Boost midsole unit. The adidas Yeezy Boost 380 has had a slow start in terms of popularity, but its safe to say that it’s on the up in 2020.
adidas Yeezy 500 High (2019)
When rumours began circulating that a Yeezy 500 High was in the works, many sneakerheads were sceptical. Turning any low top silhouette into a high can have disastrous effects, yet somehow this seems to work. The extended neoprene upper, combined with premium leather and suede, made this is a big hit for the winter months. With the latest adidas Yeezy 500 High “Tyrian” set to drop soon, the High is certainly going nowhere.
adidas Yeezy Boost 700 V3 (2019)
As the evolution of the adidas Yeezy 700 only continued, it was time for Kanye to unveil a new version. Unlike the previous V2, the V3 took a different approach. A Primeknit upper was contrasted by a neoprene tongue, with a thin set of rope laces adding to the silhouette. However, it was the use of a plastic cage and a complete smooth Boost midsole that intrigued a lot of sneakerheads. Quickly selling out after release, the adidas Yeezy 700 V3 is a classic already.
adidas Yeezy Boost 700 MNVN (2020)
Continuing the popularity of the adidas Yeezy 700 design, Kanye unveiled the MNVN. Having previously been spotted back in 2018, many sneakerheads questioned whether or not the MNVN would ever release. Its sleek appearance used minimal branding, with just a large reflective “700” graphic on the side. The stripped-back silhouette used nylon upper and the familiar Boost midsole as an ode to its predecessors. With four drops of this sneaker in 2020, there are no signs of the adidas Yeezy Boost 700 MNVN going anywhere.
adidas YZY QNTM (2020)
Kanye’s first foray into the world of sports took a lot longer than expected. In 2018, rumours began to circulate that Yeezus was working on a basketball sneaker for the NBA. Though it took nearly three years to formulate, the adidas YZY QNTM has remained extremely desirable. The reflective cage, plastic detailing and unique Primeknit upper have helped it gain huge popularity. Dropping on All-Star Weekend, sneakerheads have been patiently waiting for a wider release since.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this look at Kanye West’s sneaker designs. Over the past 13 years, Yeezus has cooked up some of the most exciting shoes in the world. His work with Nike helped pave the way for other musicians, whilst his time at adidas have helped make him a billionaire. With the sky being the limit for Kanye, let’s just see what other designs he comes up with.
