Yeezy does it - how Kanye West’s banishment from Adidas has led to an increase of secondary sales

They may have taken a moral stand after the numerous controversies Kanye West had been embroiled in, but fiscally going against Brand Ye has become a very costly affair for German sportswear brand Adidas. They have confirmed that over 1.1 billion pairs of Yeezy shoes, the brand Kanye and Adidas collaborated on, face a financial loss for the first time in 30 years.

Adidas has admitted that the amount of money the Yeezy brand would have made for the company accounts for £442 million, with the company concerned regarding its fiscal impact alongside the problem of what to do with the entire catalogue since dropping Kanye in October.

Though there have been reports the brand and Kanye have agreed to sell the remaining stock that has been manufactured already, it leaves Adidas in a perilous position. Chloe Collins, head of apparel at data firm GlobalData, summed up the issues the brand faces when talking to Sky News; “It faces a difficult choice, as selling the stock could damage its brand perception even further, and not selling it will have a disastrous effect on profit.”

So it would seem that the brand is stuck between a rock and a hard, albeit lucrative, place. For Kanye West and his remaining fan base though, it’s vindication in the sense that throughout numerous calls Yeezy was carrying Adidas, it turns out that they provided a lot more revenue than people should give him credit for.

You don’t have to like him as a person, but it is hard not to appreciate how big his brand is, from his fashion exploits to his almost carnival-like listening parties with a proverbial who’s who of names from music and fashion. But what about those who already own a pair of Yeezys: are they worth keeping, worth selling, or have they lost all their value thanks to Kanye’s behaviour?

PeopleWorld took a look at the foremost website for sneakerheads and secondary sales, StockX, to take a look if the price of Yeezy’s has depreciated since parting with Adidas, or if they have appreciated based on the strength of Brand Ye.

adidas Yeezy Boost 950 - £2,019

Originally released in October 2015, the Yeezy Boost 950 is perhaps one of the most recognisable Yeezy boots, given its outrageous pricing upon its first drop. It became the hi-top boot du jour, with its resemblance to a pair of Timberland boots - a throwback to the boot of choice in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s hip-hop community. I mean, there was a rapper and producer who took his name from the brand.

Original RRP:  £489

adidas Yeezy Boost 750 - £629

The Adidas Yeezy 750 Boost is a mid-top sneaker designed by Kanye West in February 2015. Originally released in a grey/white colorway, this was followed up by a second release was the all-black colorway which hit stores on December 19th, 2015, followed by the grey/gum colorway which released on June 11th, 2016

Original RRP: £292

adidas Yeezy Boost 350 - £440

Adidas still has a profile on their website dedicated to this run of Yeezy sneakers, with the brand stating “The Yeezy Boost 350 features an upper composed of re-engineered Primeknit. The post-dyed monofilament side stripe is woven into the upper. Reflective threads are woven into the laces. The midsole utilises Adidas’ innovative BOOST technology.”

Original RRP: £192

adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 - £315

The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 arrived with a radioactive side stripe (‘Solar Red’ was Adidas’ official designation) seared with “SPLV 350” text (short for “SUPPLY”). Beyond minor aesthetic details, the shoe ultimately pertained to the same technical specs as its 350 V1 predecessor. Later iterations of the Yeezy 350 V2 arrived with an even simpler look, with the “SPLV 350” text removed from the side stripe.

Original RRP: £183

adidas Yeezy 700 V3 - £253

One of the later variations of the Adidas Yeezy 700 line, the Yeezy 700 V3 boasts a mesh-based upper surrounded by rubber-like overlays along with reflective 3M hits throughout the material. Unlike its predecessors, this version does not feature a full-length Boost midsole, and at the time of its original release was one more the more cost-effective pairs of Yeezys that fans and sneakerheads could pick up.

Original RRP: £167