Adidas resumes Yeezy shoe sales after ending its collaboration with Kanye West

Months after the German sportswear giant severed its relationship with Ye, the musician previously known as Kanye West, some of Adidas’ leftover Yeezy sneakers are once again available for purchase.

Ye and Adidas’ long-standing collaboration came to an end in late October as a result of his offensive words and other actions.

Until earlier this month, when Adidas CEO Bjrn Gulden announced the company would be selling a portion of the remaining inventory and donating some of the proceeds to social justice organizations, the fate of the 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in unsold Yeezys remained unknown.

Adidas launched its first round of remaining Yeezys for purchase on Wednesday. According to the retailer’s website, the shoes now seem to be accessible via the Adidas app “Confirmed.” According to Adidas, a portion of the proceeds will be given to charities including the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.

Adidas will begin selling Yeezys for the first time on Wednesday after the dissolution of their collaboration in October. Adidas previously said that the Yeezy items offered for sale will comprise both already-existing styles as well as ones that were planned to be introduced in 2022 and sold in 2023.

“We believe that (selling and donating these Yeezys) is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities,” Gulden said in a statement on May 19.

Gulden added the business decided to sell and give Yeezys after interacting with nongovernmental organizations and groups that were offended by Ye’s remarks and conduct during a May 11 annual shareholder meeting.

Adidas’ plans still lack certain specifics, like the number of Yeezys that will ultimately be sold and the percentage of proceeds that would be given. On Wednesday, The Associated Press contacted Adidas to request further details.

Adidas lost 600 million euros ($655 million) in revenue for the last three months of 2022 as a result of severing connections with Ye, which contributed to the company’s 513 million euro quarterly net loss.

At the beginning of 2023, Adidas recorded lost revenues of 400 million euros ($441 million), the firm said earlier this month.

According to the corporation, net revenues decreased 1% to 5.27 billion euros in the first quarter. It revealed a net loss of 24 million euros, down significantly from the 310 million euros in profit it made during the same time last year.

Operating profit decreased from 437 million euros to 60 million euros, which includes key factors like taxes.

Investors also sued Adidas in a class-action lawsuit in late April, claiming the corporation was aware of Ye’s inflammatory words and unfavorable conduct for years before it ended its contract with him. Adidas has denied the accusations.