The Yeezy brand is globally renowned for being at the forefront of fashion, it stands as a manifestation and ode to Kanye West’s fashion taste, named after the rapper himself. It saw the rapper and entrepreneur become a groundbreaking fashion designer and one of the most influential icons of modern-day.

In the past, he had continually prided himself in not needing a stylist with quotes from his music such as: “I don’t see why I need a stylist / When I shop so much I can speak Italian.” - Champion, 2007. Kanye had continually broken the mould and sought to challenge any box that people put him in while trendsetting on a global level.

Kanye West performing in Sweden in 2011
Editorial Credit: Carl Bjorklund / Shutterstock
 

Kanye’s Inspiration

He began his foray into the sneaker industry when he collaborated with Bape on their Bapesta sneaker in 2007, which was the start of a long and successful journey that wasn’t without moments of crisis.

Kanye credited Guiseppe Zanotti for teaching and guiding him in the art of shoemaking in Zanotti’s factory in San Mauro Pascoli, Italy. Zanotti taught Kanye to make items ranging from snakeskin bags to boots. 

 

Yeezy x Nike

In April 2009, Kanye’s collaboration with Nike was released, the Air Yeezy 1. It was released in 3 colourways, grey, black and tan. They retailed for $215 and sold out immediately. Kanye’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton dropped soon after, further solidifying him within fashion industry circles.

After the famous Taylor Swift debacle at the VMAs, Kanye and his friend Virgil Abloh (now CEO and Founder of Off-White & Artistic Director of men’s wear at Louis Vuitton) travelled to Italy, where Kanye interned at Fendi. Although this internship supposedly ended badly, it was another notch in the belt for Kanye’s fashion reputation.

Then in 2012, the Air Yeezy 2 dropped. It was released in two separate colourways, Platinum and Black Solar Red. These sneakers retailed for $250 and supposedly only 1,500 pairs were ever made. This release was received incredibly well by designers and consumers alike. Kanye had previously worn them on stage in live performances and drummed up an incredible amount of hype. Fans used to be able to submit pictures of themselves in their Air Yeezys to Kanye’s now inactive website.

Air Yeezy 2 Red October
Editorial credit: Shutterstock

Yeezy x Nike Dispute

The Nike Air Yeezy was a success, it would routinely sell out immediately and became a very sought after range. However, Kanye’s contract with Nike quickly soured as he felt he deserved far more than Nike was providing. Nike hadn’t provided royalties for each pair of sneakers sold and had no solid plans for his ongoing contract regarding release dates. A particular release date, the one of the Air Yeezy 2 Red October was a point of contention between the artist and Nike.

Yeezy x Adidas

Thus, Nike’s era of Yeezy was over. In late 2013 the partnership of Kanye and Adidas was announced. The transition from swoosh to three stripes was to only make the Yeezy line all the more famous.

In 2014, Nike suddenly released the Air Yeezy 2 Red October, and that was the last of the Air Yeezys for good. The Red Octobers are a highly sought after pair of sneakers, with recent re-sales reaching over £8,000.

The Adidas Yeezy Boost 750s hype was legendary, from sneak peeks from people behind Kanye on commercial flights to Kanye casually wearing his unreleased sneakers to high profile events, he masterfully had the sneaker world begging for the release.

In February 2015 the Yeezy Boost 750 dropped and was immediately sold out. The unique suede grey-white high-tops were a limited release, but Kanye assured that he’d release enough Yeezys that everyone would be able to get a pair. They released in separate colourways in December 2015 and June 2016.
 

The Yeezy Boost 350

The most infamous of Kanye’s Yeezy Boost range, the Yeezy Boost 350 dropped in June 2015 at $200 retail price. The “Turtle Dove” paved the way for a range that would dominate sneaker sales worldwide. The “Pirate Black” Yeezy Boost 350 released in August 2015. The 350s were released in “Moonrock” in November 2015 and “Oxford Tan” in December of the same year

In 2015, the Yeezy Boost 350 won the title of Shoe of the Year at the Footwear News Annual Achievement Awards. 

The Yeezy Boost 350 has seen several changes, and with V3 recently announced and teased in classic Kanye fashion, the hype is building as it has in the past. 

To read more into Yeezy Sneaker releases from past to present with original release dates, check out the table below.

 

Releases such as the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 True Form were regionally locked to Europe, making copping them a challenge for anybody international. Here at forward2me we can break the barriers and allow you to buy Yeezys from the UK and Europe, to help get around those regionally locked releases. Check our pricing to find out how much you can save and sign up for a free account with us here.

Yeezy Boost 700
Editorial Credit: Moma Ogko / Shutterstock