Kanye West and Adidas had a long and prosperous relationship before he essentially threw it all away. Of course, he did this back in 2022 thanks to his anti-semitic messages and ramblings on social media. Overall, a lot of people were disappointed with Ye. It makes sense that people would feel this way. After all, people rightfully thought their favorite artist would be above Nazi rhetoric. However, Ye proved people to be wrong, and he has since gone into a quasi-exile out in Italy.
Originally, Adidas had dropped Ye entirely. However, they eventually had a change of heart once they saw that they were bleeding money. Moreover, the brand had about $1 billion worth of Yeezy stock that was being stored in their warehouse. They needed a way to cut some of that stock loose without losing a ton of money. This subsequently led to a temporary contract in which Adidas began selling some of Kanye's sneakers, for a limited time until the stock was all sold off.
Kanye West Helps Adidas Recover
Overall, this strategy has been very successful for Adidas. They have been able to make up a lot of ground, and their losses aren't nearly as bad as before. New reporting from The New York Post shows that in Q3, Adidas made $160 million from the sale of Yeezys. This was huge for them as they are now only on track to lose $100 million as opposed to the estimated $450 million. Needless to say, the Kanye effect is still very much a real thing.
Only time will tell whether or not Adidas and Ye decide to renew their partnership permanently. If Ye is able to redeem himself and get out of his own way, then it is likely that Adidas would want the Yeezy brand back in its grasp. Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sneaker world. We will always keep you informed.