From Swoosh to Boost: A Kanye West Story

We all know that Kanye West is one of adidas’ most recognizable, fashion savvy influencers. Though Kanye may be walking and riding through a plethora of cities in his fresh, new, outrageously hyped Three Stripes silhouette, the story of how Ye’s current footwear offering came to be is a rather interesting and well documented tale all its own.

When talking about anything, you have to start at the beginning. And for Kanye, and the Yeezy motif, it all began with the Nike Air Yeezy 1. First released in early 2009, Mr. West’s inaugural Swoosh debut was an instant must-have. An instant hit, the Yeezy 1 was just a taste of what was to come from pairing Kanye’s design prowess with Nike’s penchant for stylish innovation.

Nike Air Yeezy 1

Following up the massive success of the Yeezy 1, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 was next up to raise the bar even higher and eviscerate any and all boundaries. Though its arrival came three years after its inaugural counterpart, it was crystal clear that the Swoosh had something very special on their hands. After dropping both the silhouette’s “Pure Platinum” and “Solar Red” variations, the “Red October” colorway sent the sneaker community into a tonal-induced frenzy. While still a part of Nike, Kanye initially released the all-red variation through a three week long giveaway back in June 2013, via kanyewest.com, just a few days after the release of his critically acclaimed ‘Yeezus’ album.

Frustrated with the Red October’s lack of a retail release date, coupled with a refusal for royalties, along with the inability to do more while being limited creatively and not having his vision shared, West made the jump to adidas in November 2013. Clear that both Kanye and Nike were far beyond the point of reconciliation, a barrage of now classic rants put the highly publicized breakup in its proper perspective. While many wondered if the Red Octobers would ever see the retail light of day, Nike quietly avenged Ye’s departure by releasing the coveted style code on February 9th, 2014 via a twitter-link only delivery that sent shockwaves throughout the net. With patience being a virtue, ‘heads had to wait a whole calendar year before they could get their newest Yeezy fix from adidas. Usually known as a day synonymous with flowers, cards and candy, February 14, 2015 will also be widely remembered as the day Kanye’s adidas Yeezy 750 Boost made its official retail debut and fashionably captured the interest of consumers.

Having already been released twice, first on Valentine’s Day and again this past Saturday via a US-exclusive, online-only drop through adidas, the $350 shoe is on tap to pull a hat trick and release for a third straight weekend on February 28th overseas. The subject of mixed reviews, the adidas Yeezy Boost has received its fair share of praise and disdain but has sold out in the blink of an eye during both of its previously mentioned drops. With other colorways, cuts, and an apparel line already being previewed, it’s clear that Kanye and his design genius are quite at home with adidas. Despite the inevitable comparisons to its distant Nike Air Yeezy brethren, the Yeezy Boost has indeed set the sneaker world on its ear.

adidas Yeezy 750 Boost (photo via @_NDP)

Were you lucky enough to get your hands on the Yeezy Boost during either of the first two drops? Will you be trying again on the 28th? Which Yeezy silhouette is your favorite? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to keep your browsers locked to Nice Kicks for more.