In the year 2020, "Yeezy" have become such a household name around the world. Parents with no knowledge of sneakers may know the name as a result of hearing it from teenagers (sometimes children). The man behind the name, Kanye West took his influence from the hip-hop scene to the fashion & streetwear world.
Many associate the name "Yeezy" with the popular (and over-saturated) Adidas sneaker collaboration. Did you know, the first Yeezy was not a collaboration with Adidas? It was actually their competitor, Nike. Initially, Kanye West was given the opportunity to collaborate with Nike and designed his first shoe, Nike "Air Yeezy" 1. He then went on and created a second model, dubbed the Nike "Air Yeezy" 2. These shoes sold out instantly. The "Red October" colourway of the Nike "Air Yeezy" 2 can fetch up to $7000 USD in a brand new condition. Not many pairs exist to this day. His success was clear as day. Nike had restrictions on how many sneakers Kanye West could design, and this may have been one of the biggest mistakes a footwear driven company could have made. Kanye explained his dissatisfaction over the lack of creative control he was given at Nike and had left. He signed a contract with Adidas... and the rest is history.