Source: Matthew Sperzel / Getty
Not everyone is too hyped about adidas’ final sale of all the remaining Yeezys in stock.
Sneaker stores have listed them back on their sites amid the sporadic drops, but one has decided against it; Foot Locker.
According to Complex, Foot Locker was initially set to take on the restock but feared the idea of releasing products with Ye’s likeness, given his controversial views as of late.
“Foot Locker, the sources say, was afraid of the backlash that selling shoes associated with West, who now goes by Ye, could generate. The retailer also ran into difficulties trying to integrate a charity aspect into its sale of Yeezys,” Complex writes.
adidas and Ye linking up to sell off the remaining pairs has proved fruitful for both parties, with adidas raking in $565 million and Ye pocketing $80 million for his percentage.
However, for some stores, money wasn’t enough to once again take on a Yeezy account. Foot Locker was joined by Ronnie Fieg’s Kith, and Foot Locker-owned sneaker boutique Atmos also passed on carrying Yeezys. However, Complex confirms that stores like Snipes and Finish Line were quick to announce they’d be carrying Ye’s kicks.
Ye’s antisemitic comments led to the crumbling of his business dealings in 2022. His adidas deal was suspended as the German-based brand looked for a way to get rid of all the sneakers sitting in its warehouses.
Rumors suggested adidas would burn the stock, but in the end, it decided to sell them all and donate a portion of the proceeds –to the tune of $120 million– to charity.
adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden made it clear last week that the brand has no interest in working with Ye going forward.
“The YEEZY product is something that [Ye] created, he’s the inventor of it and we have been his partner. To take his designs and sell them off later, which we technically legally could do, is not part of our strategy,” Gulden said. “Our task now is to limit the damage, get rid of the inventory, use the proceeds to good…and build a business later without YEEZY.”
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the two (temporarily) joining forces again:
