adidas Yeezy Boost 750
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I tried so hard to leave anything Yeezy-related off my list, but I just couldn’t do it. There is simply no denying the influence of Kanye West on the designs and trends found pervading the sneaker industry in 2015. However, of the three models he’s had his name on so far for the brand with the three stripes, only one of them has struck me as a truly great sneaker.
Nobody actually cares about the 950 because of its niche nature and price point, and I think the Yeezy Boost 350 is a bit too reminiscent of the Roshe Run to be considered a game-changer. But the adidas Yeezy Boost 750 in the first colorway released, officially titled light brown, carbon white and light brown, was a strong statement by the pairing of Mr. West and the folks at adidas. I think it successfully met the hype-inflated expectations of being the first look at what would come from their collaborative effort. The Yeezy Boost 750 brought the high-fashion sneaker aesthetic together with the mass appeal of a brand as large as adidas, all the while integrating such design features as the midfoot strap that has become synonymous with Kanye. Yet this sneaker had to be headed in a different direction than his previous work with other brands, and I think it achieves a uniqueness strong enough to be the foundation of the entire body of work Ye will produce with adidas.
Slightly related, I have legal tender in the form of many dollar bills that I would so gladly pay for a pair with a black upper and off-white outsole, provided that opportunity was afforded to me in a retail capacity. Just in case the folks in charge over there are running short on colorway ideas.
Mike Guillory
Aaron Nojima