On June 15, Kanye West/Ye publicly called out the adidas CEO on Instagram, accusing Adi's new slipper, the Adilette 22, of copying his YEEZY Slide.
'Adilette 22 represents a lack of respect for talent by adidas executives, it's a fake YEEZY of their own making' - Kanye.
Adilette 22 is the "who's the devil"
Let's put aside Kanye's grievances for a moment and take an objective look at the Adilette 22.
The slippers, which are expected to be officially released on June 23, received an enthusiastic response from adidas fans when they were first publicly released.
The Adilette 22's exterior design is inspired by geometric textures.
The sides have a terrace-like wave level, reminiscent of the "contour topographic map" of secondary school geography.
The vertical pit-strip groove texture on the front has another wonderful visual effect of pixel blur.
It's safe to say that the Adilette 22 is designed to be both trendy and fun, with a comfortable sense of healing.
The design of the whole pair is more about the overall visual effect, without a closer look you can't see the brand message, weakening the presence of the classic logo.
Kinda bold.
The Adilette 22 slippers have a very understated colorway industry with only black, white, grey, nude, and green, plus two slightly more colorful versions in marble and sand.
No exaggerated colorways, but every pair I can think of needs to be paired to it for the occasion, and is a shoe that will get a lot of use in the summer.
All colors of the Adilette 22 are made from natural and renewable materials, underscoring adidas' commitment to the environment.
What's more, at just $55 US (less than $400), it's a no-brainer purchase.
So, what exactly is Kanye mad about?
Kanye's collaboration with adidas has been going on since 2013 and it's safe to say he's created countless buzz for the German brand, even fundamentally changing the perception of adidas.
For almost a decade, they have collaborated to create the Yeezy Boost 350 and Yeezy Boost 700, the super icons of sneakers that have created a sales spectacle.
Kanye should be the last and least big baby adidas would want to offend.
But if you happen to have bought a YEEZY Slide, you'll probably understand the point of Kanye's anger.
In December 2019, Kanye's first slipper collaboration with adidas, the YEEZY Slide, was released, and immediately became the most trendy slipper of all time.
As the cheapest shoe in the coconut family, and the one with the simplest form factor, the YEEZY Slide was an instant hit.
They say it is a pair of shoes that "can't be worn back".
And many a modern youth's summer has started with the YEEZY Slide.
The YEEZY Slide is the perfect successor to Kanye's minimalist, premium aesthetic.
The sheer texture is shown through a large monochromatic color palette that highlights the edgy shoe design. Combined with the rounded, voluminous lines of the shoe and the serrated grooves on the sole, it's a trendsetter from birth.
The YEEZY Slide overturns the established image of rubber slippers, with a bold look that challenges all kinds of styles.
All the time, countless big celebrities, bloggers, and internet celebrities are sporting coconut slippers with them.
Coupled with the addition of Kanye, who has a very prominent personal style, the vortex has been blowing for three years.
These are probably the breeding grounds for the birth of Adilette 22.
When the YEEZY Slide launched, it came in three subdued, restrained earth tones - Earth Brown, Fossil White and Desert Green.
It would be a bit blind to say that the Adilette 22 doesn't "borrow" from the color scheme.
The YEEZY Slide has a fairly smooth surface and is made of EVA foam to reduce weight and increase durability, with a one-piece look that is minimalist to the extreme.
They are also popular with many women's shoe fans because of the visual effect of height enhancement.
The Adilette 22 does have it all when it comes to looks and design. But the simple, padded design of the shoe still sees shades of the YEEZY Slide.
Hell, the Adilette 22 retails for 15 US dollars (almost $100) less than the YEEZY Slide.
It won't sell out, it won't be overpriced, and even fans themselves are hailing the Adilette 22 as the flat replacement for the YEEZY Slide.
There is one thing to say, if this was a new product coming out from a competitor, it might not be so angry.
Now, after Kanye called out the adidas CEO, the vocal criticism seems to be far from over and it's a mystery if the Adilette 22 will be released as scheduled. Still, who knows if this is just another conversation hype?
For the more casual consumer, the final focus will probably be on the two shoes themselves. ### Choose the Adilette 22 or the YEEZY Slide?
That question depends on whether or not you love Kanye and his YEEZY co-branded line in conjunction with adidas.
The idea Kanye wants to convey through YEEZY is that it is versatile, comfortable and not too out of date.
He wants everyone to wear YEEZY, and no matter how many years go by, you can look back on the YEEZY you bought before and not feel corny.
YEEZY's output is inseparable from the low-saturation hues, simple fit and subversive shape design, fashionable, but not ostentatious, and many pieces are really worth collecting.
I bought two pairs of early YEEZY sneakers that are really nice and durable.
If you agree with his design philosophy (no character or words involved), share his vision and grasp of trends, and love the edgy style that comes with this music trend culture, you are definitely going to choose the YEEZY Slide.
But at the end of the day, we may still care: the YEEZY Slide has a higher premium for the same quality.
So I buy the equally well-crafted and comfortable-feeling Adilette 22 and it doesn't smell good?
Also smells good.
YEEZY represents the highest technology of adidas, and the best fabrics, the best craftsmanship, and the most trendy designs.
The company's own super flow of Kanye added, YEEZY itself is born with the golden key, is the high-end line of the adidas brand.
Then there's no excuse for the relatively high price of products from the YEEZY line.
As for the circulation premium part, to put it bluntly, it is market supply and demand that determines the price of the product.
YEEZY certain popular shoes, buy demand far more than the amount of release, and even some of the face and material series, basically are also limited release, as long as Kanye a little with the goods (and even his topic ex-wife Kardashian), grab out of stock that is expected to happen.
The YEEZY 350 has been speculated to be in five figures in some colors and sizes because of its "vintage" nature and the scarcity of releases.
The YEEZY 350 II was released later, with improved technology and a higher price than the first generation, but due to the increase in the number of releases, the price was also reasonable compared to the first generation.
The price is not the fault of the YEEZY Slide.
There is actually a risk of hyping it up if everyone is crowding in to grab the Adilette 22.
Kanye would probably be even more pissed off if that day ever came.
To be clear, there are two kinds of people who love sneakers (and also trendy flip-flops).
Collector who truly understands and loves sneaker culture.
Players who want to make themselves look good and stylish.
Both of these are brand-pleasers.
That's how the YEEZY Slide and Adilette 22 came about.
One pair for collectors, one pair for players.