Kanye West’s collaboration line with Adidas recently dropped a new version of the Yeezy Foam Runner in a new color. This comes hot on the heels of West releasing his contentious album, Donda, which has caused plenty of controversy. West initially introduced the album (then in progress) via Twitter in 2020, and not long after, snippets from the new album were leaked.
Vox reports that Donda had originally been scheduled for release on July 24 of the same year as tweeted, and quickly deleted, by Kanye himself. But his plans of dropping Donda never came to fruition in 2020 and he gave no explanation to fans as to why. On top of the album fiasco, the past year has been quite tumultuous for the rapper’s personal life: losing the presidential election and rumors about the end of his marriage have been rife.
Despite the trials and tribulations of the past year, West was able to release the album, but not without problems. There was a severe backlash when the artist collaborated with Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, both of whom are known to be rather problematic to say the least – they're alleged sexual abusers and homophobic, respectively. And although Donda was able to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, it was quickly overtaken by Drake’s Certified Lover Boy which was released just a week after.
West is obviously not going to let his competition overshadow him and has since announced the release of a new color for his Yeezy Foam Runner line to help continue the hype around his brand. The Yeezy line has been immensely successful since its initial release with Adidas in 2015. Forbes reports how the brand reached $1.5 billion in value in 2019. And it's expected to spike with this new album release. This shows how successful the collaboration is and how high the demand for Yeezys is.
The new Yeezy colorway is set to be called Ochre, and as the name suggests, the new shoe drop is expected to have an earthy, yellow shade. The teased photos of the new color closely resemble clay with its muted tinge. The shoe, which boasts an interesting and unique design, is built for comfort and maximum airflow. It was released on September 18 and is available on the Adidas CONFIRMED app and in select stores.
The Foam Runner’s interesting design is an example of how the shoe industry is creating daring designs mixed with usability and star power. Other brands like Nike have been creating new ways to make their products more eye-catching and noteworthy, like re-releasing long-term partner Drake’s CLB collaboration. The label also recently held a celebration showcasing their well-known Air Max where people could acquire Air Max-themed art in an auction. Just like Adidas, Nike is banking on iconic shoe models and collaborations with A-list artists to get ahead.
For Adidas, Kanye West's new shoe release is expected to sell out quickly, similar to how the Yeezy Boost 350 sold out in minutes. The bold design shows how the shoe world is changing and leaning into creating more artsy pieces. This is a trend that will most likely continue in the years to come, and you can expect big names like Kanye West to continue being involved.