A recent trademark application by Kanye West hints that he may be looking to broaden his horizons. The trademark includes services like animal boarding, hotel services, cake decorating, youth hostel services, and more. The application, under the brand YZY SHLTR, also notably hints at Ye delving into the world of AI. It lists “rental of robots for cooking," as well as “rental of robots for preparing beverages."
It's clear that Kanye is looking to expand his empire with his latest trademarks. Just last month, Ye also applied to trademark "YZY SOCK SHOES," listing “Socks; socks with leather soles,” in documents. The sock-shoes in question emulate those seen being worn by Ye and his wife Bianca Censori as of late. The news also came shortly after adidas revealed plans to sell nearly $1 billion worth of unsold Yeezy shoes.
Kanye's New Ventures
CEO of adidas, Bjorn Gulden, explained at the time that “Burning those shoes cannot be the solution.” “What we are trying to do now over time is to sell parts of this inventory and donate money to the organizations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanye’s statements,” he explained. The brand cut ties with Ye in 2022 after he publicly made several anti-Semitic comments.
Adidas chose to donate the proceeds from the remaining sales to various charitable causes. Proceeds are going to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, which is run by the brother and sister-in-law of George Floyd. "We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes," Gulden explained. "It works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities. There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it.”