Kanye West‘s impact on the sneaker game and sneaker culture is plain undeniable. But just in case there is any doubt left, the rapper/producer/designers is going to be cooking up proper YEEZY basketball sneakers with adidas in 2017.
Per the good folks at SLAM magazine, Yeezy’s name will be added to basketball kicks and performance footwear for footwear, baseball and more.
For the first time, adidas will launch non-athlete signature product crafted for performance on the court and field. There will be Yeezy Basketball models slated to debut in early 2017, worn by an increasingly impressive roster of emerging adidas Basketball players in the NBA. Basketball has long operated under a “Court to Street” premise, but adidas will now be looking to flip that approach. The braintrust at the Three Stripes has realized that Kanye is influencing the whole League now. By this time next year, you’ll likely see a full range of hoop shoes bearing the Yeezy nickname featured throughout the pages of this magazine and others.
We’ll also see Yeezy iterations primed for football, baseball and soccer, as the brand continues to enjoy storied success in global soccer and looks to ramp up signing more NFL and MLB athletes. After sponsoring only around 20 players in each stateside league in recent years, the brand is planning to sign up to 250 players in both the NFL and MLB within the next three seasons. With Kanye in the fold, athletes have never been more open to signing with adidas.
As previously reported, the forthcoming YEEZY brand with adidas will also be releasing its own lifestyle and performance apparel. Part of the plan includes eventual brick and mortar stores, too.
“The beauty of this partnership is that there really is no ceiling now,” Jon “Wex” Wexler told SLAM. “I think we’re all exploring different ways that we can maximize it. Knowing that we want this partnership to last forever, we don’t want it to be one of those flashes in the pan.”
Forever, ever? Smart play.
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Photo: adidas
