If you haven’t witnessed the explosion of sneaker culture in the past few years, you might be living under a rock. The sneaker industry has exploded in value over the past decade, and it is one of the hottest places to do business anywhere in the world.
If you’re getting into the sneaker culture as a consumer, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Yeezys, rapper Kanye West’s iconic brand. At this point in time, Yeezys go for a fairly high price. You might be wondering: are Yeezys worth it?
In our opinion, Ye’s signature shoes are well worth the trouble and expense you might have to go through to get them. Read on, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Yeezys and why we think they are worth paying top dollar for.
History of the Yeezy
Kanye West burst onto the music scene back in the early 2000s, completely disrupting the street image of the rap scene at the time and changing popular music history.
West has always been an innovator and disrupter (just look at the footage captured in the new Netflix documentary to see the proof) and it wasn’t long before he wanted to take his talents outside of the music biz.
Kanye had designed shoes as a hobby as early as childhood, and near the beginning of the 2010s, he decided to officially launch his own shoe brand with Adidas as a primary partner. This was after a few years of dabbling in shoewear after the success of his album Graduation, when he designed a pair of shoes for Nike.
The Yeezy, of course, is named after Kanye himself. It is pulled from a nickname that Jay-Z gave him during their very first official collaboration, on 2003’s hit ‘The Bounce.’
Kanye was not happy with the limitations that Nike put on him when it came to their collaborations, so he left to partner with Adidas and create the Yeezy as we know it today.
The shoe went live in 2015, with the retail release of the ever-popular Yeezy Boost 350. It sold out near-instantly and received rave reviews across the board. The release was accompanied by the Nike diss track ‘Facts,’ proof that West would remain the controversial, prickly figure that he always has been.
Worth The Hype?
Anything that Kanye West attaches his name to tends to generate a more than fair amount of hype. Many times, that hype is justified. In other instances, such as with the release of DONDA II, it is not.
Which side of the fence do Yeezy fall on?
There are dedicated groups across all social media platforms that post breathless updates about the brand’s availability. People line up for hours or even days ahead of time to try and cop a new pair.
The resale value of the shoes is enormous, with pairs selling for nearly a thousand dollars on market sites like eBay after the release. Is it possible that any pair of shoes could live up to this kind of hype?
In short: yes. The Yeezy deserves its reputation because it is the first true innovation in the sneaker industry in years. West has really outdone himself, crafting a quality shoe that both feels and looks incredible.
Lightweight and Comfortable
When Kanye sat down to design the Yeezy shoe models, he wasn’t just trying to create a stylish shoe. He was trying to create a product that would provide an incredible experience for the wearer and he was willing to make a million different prototypes until he landed on the best way to do so.
This work ethic created the shoe as we know it today, made of only the best materials from around the world. The Yeezy sneaker is lightweight and easy on the foot. Moving in these shoes is effortless.
The soft material on the inside makes it feel as if the wearer is walking on a cloud. It’s so soft, you could almost imagine curling up in the material and taking a nap. It’s that good.
The level of comfort that Yeezys provide compared to other shoe brands is simply incomparable. If you want to prioritize feeling your best, a Yeezy is going to be the way to go.
Stylish and Cool
Of course, if the Yeezy was only comfortable, it wouldn’t be the fashion icon it is today. The other obvious benefit of this shoe brand is that it is one of the coolest and most stylish brands around.
The snug, aerodynamic, and vibrant nature of many of the Yeezy models have become the dominant shoe trend of the last decade. While there are many imitators now, few are able to capture the exact ‘it’ factor of the Yeezy.
Look at this Yeezy foam runner for sale, for example, and you can imagine just how striking it might look on your own feet.
These are the basics of why Yeezys are worth it, but in order to truly understand the appeal, you might just have to try on a pair yourself.
Are Yeezys Worth It?
Are Yeezys worth it? Are used Yeezys worth it? You’ll find these kinds of questions all over the web as people weigh the pros and cons of going all-in on Kanye West’s popular shoe brand. The above is our own opinion on why investing in this kind of shoewear might be the right move.
Need more style advice and information? Keep scrolling our blog for more.
You may also like the best comfortable sneakers for men.
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Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Pinstripe Magazine. Creative thinker and menswear designer who has been writing articles dedicated to men’s fashion, lifestyle, luxury items, home design, gear, grooming and gadgets since 1998. For info on PinstripeMag, any editorial needs or to contact me please email at marv@pinstripemag.com.
