The Rise and Fall of the Adidas-Yeezy Partnership: A Timeline of Success, Controversy, and Collapse

2013: A Surprising Collaboration: Kanye West Joins Adidas

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Fans were stunned when Adidas and Kanye West announced their partnership in November 2013. [1] Following West’s departure from Nike over disputes regarding royalties on Yeezy sales, West revealed the new deal with Adidas during an appearance on Angie Martinez’s Hot 97 radio show in New York.[2]

2015: The Yeezy Revolution Boosts Adidas’ Market Presence

After much anticipation, West and Adidas launched their first collaborative sneaker, the Yeezy Boost 750, in February 2015. That year also saw the debut of the Yeezy 350 in several colorways, including the renowned “Turtle Dove.”[3]

Footwear News named the Yeezy Boost 350 as Shoe of the Year, and Kanye was recognized as one of Time magazine’s most influential people.[4]

In addition, Adidas also found success with West’s reimagined version of the Ultraboost and NMD sneaker models that year.[5]

2016 & 2017: Adidas and Kanye Extend Their Partnership

With the popularity of West’s line rapidly growing in 2016, Adidas signed a new deal with the rapper and designer extending through 2026.[6] Adidas hailed the agreement as the “most significant partnership between a non-athlete and a sports brand.”[7]

In summer of 2017, Yeezy dropped the “Wave Runner” 700 for a retail price of $300.[8]

Adidas officially surpassed Nike’s Jordan brand to become the No. 2 sneaker brand by market share, with Nike maintaining its position as the industry leader at No. 1.[9]

2018: Controversy Strikes with Kanye West’s Provocative Statements

In May of 2018, West sparked controversy by saying slavery “sounds like a choice” in a TMZ interview.[10] This marked the first time Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted had to defend the company’s relationship with him, noting on CNBC that Kanye had significantly boosted Adidas’ brand in the U.S. [11]

Kanye also visited President Trump at the White House wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, and credited Trump for inspiring his move to Adidas and saying, “This Adidas thing made me a billionaire.”[12]

2019: Yeezy Day and Financial Milestones

2019 marked the company’s first annual “Yeezy Day,” the annual day in which Adidas released some of its most anticipated Yeezy sneaker drops.[13] After igniting a frenzy on social media, many sneakerheads ended up disappointed they were unable to purchase their favorite pairs. Ye later called out the company for launching the initial event without his personal approval years later.[14]

Adidas Yeezy sales topped $1 billion for the first time in 2019, hitting $1.3 billion.[15] Largely due to his partnership with Adidas, West went from being $53 million in debt in 2016 to earning $150 million (pretax) within about three years.[16]

2021: West’s Journey from Debt to Billionaire Status

By the end of 2021, Adidas North American sales soared from 17% to $5.1 billion. Yeezy shoe sales exceeded $1 billion annually, boosting Adidas’ profits and reviving its brand image, while Ye became a billionaire in the process.[17]

2022: The Downfall, Controversies, and the End of the Partnership

Ye became the center of widespread outrage in 2022 after he wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt on October 3 during Paris Fashion Week. Days later, Twitter and Instagram closed Ye’s accounts after he posted antisemitic remarks.[18]

For more than two weeks, Kanye continued to make racist statements and endorsed a slogan associated with white supremacists.[19] Adidas remained silent and announced their partnership was “under review,” but his erratic behavior eventually led to the termination of their working relationship on October 25.[20] Adidas announced it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” and it was reported that the meeting in which Adidas executives decided to cut ties with Ye lasted only two minutes.[21]

In a statement, Adidas said it expected its bottom line to take a $247 million hit for the year.[22]

According to a 2022 Business Insider article, Yeezy generated an estimated $1.7 billion in annual revenue for Adidas, or 8% of its 2021 total.[23]

Adidas also removed remaining Yeezy products from shelves. Retailers like Foot Locker followed suit, pulling Yeezy items at Adidas’ request.[24]

2023: Financial and Legal Repercussions

After severing ties with Ye, the brand’s revenue dropped by $1.3 billion by 2023.[25]

In May 2023, investors sued Adidas, alleging that executives knew about the risks of their partnership with Kanye, but failed to disclose these to shareholders.[26] The lawsuit cited a November 2022 Wall Street Journal article, which reported that Adidas had feared the Yeezy collaboration might “blow up” and detailed West’s antisemitic remarks made in front of Adidas employees.[27]

On August 16, 2024, Judge Karin Immergut condemned Ye’s “erratic, inappropriate, and antisemitic” behavior as troubling, but ruled that it did not constitute securities fraud.[28]

“The question before this court is not whether to admonish Ye or hold Adidas morally accountable for Ye’s conduct,” Immergut wrote. “Rather, this Court is faced with a precise legal question: has Plaintiff sufficiently pleaded facts showing that Adidas misled investors and thereby committed federal securities fraud? On the current record before this Court, the answer is no.”[29]

The Lasting Impact of the Adidas-Yeezy Era

Unfortunately, the partnership between Adidas and Kanye West, which began with high expectations and significant commercial success, ultimately faced a dramatic decline. The Yeezy line revitalized Adidas, driving record sales and boosting the brand’s market position until controversies surrounding West’s behavior in 2022 led to the abrupt end of the collaboration and substantial financial losses for Adidas. This intricate relationship exemplifies the powerful effect a celebrity endorsement can have on a brand, as well as the significant risks when such a partnership collapses.

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-wests-turbulent-9-year-history-with-adidas-2022-11#march-2023-15

[2]https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-west-confirms-adidas-partnership-cuts-ties-with-nike-5800776/

[3]https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-wests-turbulent-9-year-history-with-adidas-2022-11#march-2023-15

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9]gq.com/story/adidas-is-now-more-popular-than-air-jordan

[10]https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-west-lost-adidas-deal-after-executives-two-minute-call-2022-11

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.