Adidas Selling Yeezy Shoes After Split With Ye

Adidas said that it is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as the German sportswear brand seeks to unload the unsold shoes while donating to groups fighting antisemitism, David McHugh reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Part of the profits from the sales of the Yeezy shoes will go to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by social justice advocate Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd.

The online sale, to start Wednesday through Adidas smartphone apps and its website, follows an earlier set of sales in May.

Models that will be available include the Yeezy Boost 350 V2, 500, and 700 as well as the Yeezy Slide and Foam RNR. The company cut ties with Ye in October after he made antisemitic and other offensive remarks online and in interviews.

That left Adidas holding 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of unsold Yeezys and searching for a responsible way to dispose of them.

Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said in May that selling the popular sneakers and donating some of the profits was the best solution to deal with the unsold inventory and make a difference.

He said the company spoke with nongovernmental organizations and groups that were harmed by Ye’s comments and actions.

Part of the profits from the sales of the Yeezy shoes will go to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by social justice advocate Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd.

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