Kanye West says Adidas invented Yeezy Day without his approval

Kanye West has said that Yeezy Day – August 2, the annual day in which Adidas releases some of its most anticipated Yeezy sneaker drops – was created by the sportswear brand without his personal approval.

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West, in an Instagram message sent to Complex, made multiple other accusations regarding Adidas and their collaborative brand, in addition to launching Yeezy Day in 2019 without getting the go-ahead from the rapper.

Among the other accusations made against Adidas were that the company revived older styles of shoes, chose colourways and names, hired employees for the line, “stole” West’s styles and material approach, all without his approval.

Ye says Adidas made up ‘Yeezy Day’ without his approval

via @Complex, @ComplexSneakers pic.twitter.com/VVQjp945UQ

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) August 2, 2022

West also touched on an issue he raised earlier this year when he accused Adidas of making “a fake Yeezy” with the release of their Adilette 22 slide sandals. “When I originally ordered Adidas to make more Yeezy slides the [general manager] lied to my face and said they didn’t have the capacity,” West writes in the message to Complex.

“Meanwhile Adidas was copying my slides and making their own version of the Yeezy slide,” he adds. “Yeezy is 68 [per cent] of Adidas [online] sales. God step in.”

In June, in a since-deleted Instagram post, West shared an image of the Adilette 22 slides – which promptly sold out following their release a month earlier – addressing a message to Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted.

“I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more,” West wrote. “This is for everyone who wants to express themselves but feel they can’t cause they’ll [lose] their contract or be called crazy,” he continued, adding that the shoes represented “the disrespect that people in power have to the talent”.

West was drawing comparisons between the Adilette and his own Yeezy Slide line, which he launched in late 2019. Both shoes feature a similar lightweight, slip-on design and come in an earthy, beige tone. Adilettes are also slightly cheaper at $55 (£45), while Yeezy Slides retail for $10 (£8) more.

West partnered with Adidas under the Yeezy banner in late 2013, with their first collection debuting in 2015. Under the terms of West’s contract with Adidas, the rapper retains full ownership of the Yeezy brand, and has complete creative control over the products released through the brand.

In other Ye news, Chaka Khan has claimed that West never told her he was going to pitch-shift her voice when he sampled her 1985 song ‘Through The Fire’ on his 2003 debut single, ‘Through The Wire’. The singer added that she was “upset about sounding like a chipmunk”.

Last month, the rapper appeared onstage at Rolling Loud Miami, despite having cancelled his headline slot there less than a week earlier. Kid Cudi had replaced West on the bill shortly ahead of it taking place, but West nevertheless joined Lil Durk during his set to perform their recent Cardi B collaboration ‘Hot Shit’ along with West’s ‘Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1.’

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