The Atlanta-born rapper, songwriter, and record producer, Kanye Omari West has also achieved success as a fashion designer. The first footwear with the Yeezy logo appeared in 2009. By now, he has his clothesline, while the number of boots designed by Kanye has exceeded 10.
Before launching a joint line with Adidas, Kanye West had time to work with several other brands, including Adidas’ direct competitor Nike. West’s first sneakers were designed in collaboration with BAPE and came out in 2007. The design was inspired by the graphic for the album The College Dropout. A year later, West teamed up with Reebok to create four colors of the S. Carter Classic Low. The rapper Jay-Z’s signature model with a Kanye West design is released in 2008.
In 2009, Kanye West and his friend, stylist, and longtime partner Virgil Ablo go to Paris, where together they intern at the fashion house Fendi. West takes it to the next level and presents sneakers designed together with the iconic fashion house Louis Vuitton. Under the aegis of the joint project, three models go on sale in 2009. At the same time the first Nike Air Yeezy is released, and West, as a sneaker designer, becomes the center of excitement.
Kanye West and Nike present Nike Air Yeezy II in 2012. This model will be the last in the collaboration between the musician and the American brand. On December 3, 2013, Adidas announces the beginning of its collaboration with Kanye West. This date can be called the birth of the Yeezy brand.
Adidas Yeezy Boost Original Sneakers – a shoe that harmoniously combines a high level of comfort and a focus on original and recognizable design. Since the famous rapper Kanye West teamed up with Adidas, the brand’s products had another leap in popularity.
The Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 model caused a cult following when it was first released in 2015. This May 2019 Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Glow model features a stunning Primeknit upper with a green hue that glows in the dark and a translucent stripe for a dramatic side profile. The sneaker’s outsole also glows in the dark and provides enhanced cushioning thanks to the Boost system.
What is Yeezy?
Yeezy is a conceptual sneaker line created by Adidas in collaboration with producer, rapper, and designer Kanye West. Developed using advanced Adidas technologies, Yeezy sneakers have a unique design, are produced in limited quantities, and are sold exclusively in the best stores in the world.
Kanyeezy was the nickname given to West by the famous rapper Jay-Z when he worked with him in the early 2000s. The prefix “eezy” to names and words in the English language comes from the slang phrase “off the heezy fo’ sheezy”, which at one time was very popular among young people and meant something very fashionable, cool, and original.
Kanye West himself first called himself Yeezy in 2007 on the album Graduation. Subsequently, the nickname stuck to the rapper so firmly that when Kanye decided to start his brand in clothing and footwear, he did not have to think long.
The official Yeezy emblem is based on the lettering, executed in a custom modern sans-serif font, with softened angles of the characters and a horizontal bar crossing the diagonal in the “Z”.
The boots designed by Kanye West always feature the logotype of the parent company. So, in addition to the Yeezy wordmark, there are also the Louis Vuitton, Adidas, and Nike emblems.
Conspiracy theorists tend to find Illuminati symbolism in many current logos, and the Yeezy emblem is not an exception. For instance, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 features three elements that can be interpreted as Illuminati symbols: a pyramid, an eye (the Eye of Providence), and an eagle.
The typeface featured in the Yeezy logo may seem fairly regular but the letter “Z”. has an additional horizontal bar right in the middle, due to which the wordmark becomes unique and recognizable. The closest fonts to the one, used in the Yeezy logo are, probably, Thirdlone Sans Regular, or Isotonic Semi Bold.
The color palette of the logotype may be changed according to the color of the footwear or clothes it appears on, but the official version of the badge is set in black, a timeless option, which evokes a sense of power and elegance.