Kanye West hasn’t posted on Instagram in three weeks, except to tease a McDonald’s business deal, but on Monday (June 13), he took aim at Adidas for allegedly duplicating his Yeezy designs.
He uploaded a snapshot of Adidas’ $55 Adilette 22 sandals, which look a lot like Ye’s $70 Yeezy Slides and sold out almost immediately when they were released in May.
Kanye West mentions Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted in his lengthy caption. “I’m not standing for this obvious plagiarism any longer,” he wrote to Kasper. “To all sneakerheads” To every ball player, rapper, or even store employee: This is for everyone who wants to express themselves but is afraid to do so for fear of losing their job or being labeled insane.”
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He concluded, “These shoes show the disregard that those in power have for talent.” “This is a fake Yeezy created by Adidas themselves, and I’m not talking to DC about it either. Come talk to me, Kasper.”
In 2015, Ye debuted his first Yeezy line with Adidas. West retains 100 percent ownership of his brand while having complete creative control over the products issued as part of his Adidas relationship.
The Yeezy Slide was released in 2019, and thanks to the Eva Foam rubber, the lightweight slip-on style footwear exploded in popularity due to its simple, non-sweaty wear, especially in the summer. According to Bloomberg, Yeezy sneakers will generate over $1.7 billion in annual revenue in 2020, generating Yeezy $191 million in royalties.
Adidas has yet to reply publicly to Ye’s remarks, and he has since deleted the post from his Instagram page.