Adidas Begins Selling Yeezy Sneakers After Cutting Ties With Ye

Adidas Begins Selling Yeezy Sneakers After Cutting Ties With Ye

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Adidas has begun selling off Yeezy sneakers, created in collaboration with Kanye West. The German sportswear brand says a significant amount of money made from its inventory of the Yeezy brand sneakers will be donated to organizations that are fighting racism, hate, and antisemitism including the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. 

It’s unclear if Kanye will receive any profits from the shoes as Adidas ended its partnership with the artist in October after he made a string of antisemitic remarks. 

Adidas Begins Selling Yeezy Sneakers After Cutting Ties With Ye
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Notably, the shoes range in price from $70 to $260 a pair and have gone on sale in the United States. The company added it consulted with a diverse group of employees, organizations, and consumers before deciding what to do with the leftover product. The company also followed through on committed production orders even after the partnership was terminated to protect supply chain partners. 

Adidas Begins Selling Yeezy Sneakers After Cutting Ties With Ye
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In February, the German brand estimated that the decision to not sell off the remaining Yeezy merchandise would cut the company’s full-year revenue by about $1.28 billion and its profit by $533 million. In the first quarter alone, the discontinuation of the Yeezy brand cost Adidas about $440 million in sales. 

Adidas Begins Selling Yeezy Sneakers After Cutting Ties With Ye
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Adidas is facing a lawsuit from investors who allege the brand knew about Ye’s problematic behavior years before cutting ties with him and ending the collaboration. Several other organizations, including Vogue, Foot Locker, Gap, and Balenciaga distanced themselves from the artist following his several antisemitic comments. However, Adidas continually denied the allegations.