Adidas
Adidas split from doing business with Ye (formerly Kanye West) in October 2022 following his antisemitic remarks, and nearly 2.5 years later, the apparel giant says it has finally sold the last of its Yeezy supply.
Adidas hosted an earnings report on Wednesday (March 5) when chief financial officer Harm Ohlmeyer revealed that the Yeezy stock has run dry. “There is not one Yeezy shoe left,” he said, per Rolling Stone. “It has all been sold and that episode is behind us.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Adidas and Ye for further comment.
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Ye and Adidas joined forces for a lucrative partnership in 2013, as the Yeezy footwear line was reportedly worth $1.5 billion at the time of the termination.
Adidas and other companies such as Balenciaga, Gap and Def Jam cut ties with West in late 2022 following the debut of his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt and his social media rant that included a promise to go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” an Adidas spokesperson said at the time. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The split left Adidas with $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys, which contributed to a loss of $655 million in sales for 2022’s fourth quarter. The company went on to donate a portion of Yeezy sales to the Anti-Defamation League and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
All subsequent litigation between Ye and Adidas came to a close in October when both parties reached a settlement. The terms were not disclosed.
“Both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore and withdrew all the claims,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said that neither side would pay the other as part of the settlement. “No one owes anybody anything anymore. So whatever was is history.”
In other Ye news, he once again caused a stir on X on Wednesday when he professed his appreciation for Drake and hopes that the 6 God will speak at his funeral when the time comes. “I SAW A VIDEO OF DRAKE WALKING THROUGH HIS HOUSE AND SHOWING HE HAD A LIBRARY OF RYHME BOOKS MAN I WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN AND REMEMBERED THIS WHEN MY JEALOUSY OVERTOOK ME,” he wrote. “I LOVE DRAKE IMA SAY THIS WHEN I DIE I NEED YOU TO SPEAK AT ME FUNERAL.”
While he’s repeatedly dissed Drake in the past and throughout the Kendrick Lamar feud, Kanye has turned a new leaf when it comes to Drizzy and showed him love. Even earlier this year, West said that you can’t ever count out a Drake comeback in the rap game.
“You can’t ever count out Steph Curry. That man might get 200 points in one song,” he said. Kanye credited Drake with adding “something to the algorithm to our frequency. He advanced us. Future advanced us and now Kendrick advanced the frequency.”
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Pharrell Williams‘ ability to merge music, fashion, and cultural storytelling has made him one of the most influential creatives of our time. Whether it’s through his groundbreaking production in hip-hop and R&B or his game-changing collaborations in fashion, Pharrell has consistently pushed boundaries. His latest project with adidas continues this legacy, as he reimagines the classic Superstar silhouette with the bold and innovative Superstar 92 collection.
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Pharrell’s fashion collaborations have always mirrored his musical innovation, bridging the gap between artistic expression and everyday wear. His long-standing partnership with Adidas has already delivered some of the most unique designs in sneaker culture, and with the Superstar 92, also known as the Double Wide, he brings a fresh, oversized twist to one of Adidas’ most celebrated silhouettes.
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This new silhouette is all about proportions and nostalgia. Inspired by the exaggerated aesthetics of the ‘90s and the functional build of snowboard boots, the Superstar 92 blends heritage with modern design. The sneaker features thick padding around the ankle for comfort, a chunky sole for a bold stance, and premium materials that elevate its look and feel. With “Virginia” emblazoned on the tongue, Pharrell once again nods to his hometown roots — a theme that remains a central part of his storytelling.
Clipse modeling the Adidas Superstar 92
Adidas
Staying true to his origins, Pharrell tapped fellow Virginia hip-hop icons Clipse to lead the Superstar 92 campaign. The duo, made up of Pusha T and No Malice, played a pivotal role in shaping early 2000s rap, and their inclusion in this campaign highlights the deep cultural connections between music, sneakers, and personal identity. Shot in Virginia, the campaign reinforces the idea that the Superstar 92 is more than just a sneaker — it’s a symbol of legacy, authenticity, and evolution.
As someone who already owns six pairs of Superstars, this latest iteration feels like an instant classic, so it’s a flex for me! The chunky build, premium materials, and Virginia tribute make it more than just another sneaker drop — it’s a true reflection of Pharrell’s vision and legacy. With the Superstar 92, he’s continuing a conversation between music, fashion, and culture, one step at a time. So, where do you stand? Is this collection a Flex, a Trade, or a Fade?
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Virginia Beach continues to be at the forefront of redefining fashion. The Clipse are now starring in the launch campaign for the adidas Superstar 92.
Source: adidas / adidas
As per Sneaker News the legendary Rap group have been tapped by their long time friend and collaborator Pharrell Williams. This week adidas announced the launch of the Virginia Superstar 92; an oversized take on the classic sneaker. As a co-branded effort with Skateboard P’s Humanrace brand, this model sticks to the original’s framework including the signature all leather upper panel, rubber outsole and textile lining. To no surprise this version has a true point of difference in a couple of locations including VIRGINIA featured on the tongue and contrasting lace colors.
Shot in their hometown by another Virginia Beach native Cam Hicks, the duo is captured fully immersed in their element. Malice and Pusha T compliment each other well by sporting coordinated colors but avoid the stereotypical matching outfits that are now synonymous with tacky1990’s Rap group fashion.
The adidas x Humanrace Superstar 92 AKA The Double Wide comes in two colorways. One in a Core Black and Cream White with yellow laces and a Core White with black stripes and pink laces. Priced at $200.00 this release will available in limited quantities starting March 1 via the adidas CONFIRMED app.
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Looks like Kanye West is still a tad bit bitter about his billion-dollar breakup with adidas, as the polarizing music icon has once again launched an attack on his former business partners and decided to throw some shade at designer, Jerry Lorenzo in the process.
Last night (Jan. 7), Yeezy took to his Instagram page and for no apparent reason (at least not to the general public) rehashed his drama with the three-stripe brand in a lengthy post in which he took issue with the fact that when people google “Yeezy” they’re directed to the official adidas website. Taking it as a sign of disrespect, Kanye called out adidas for the shady business practice (though it does make sense) and reminded them that he was the man that took their sneaker brand to new heights during his eight-year stint.
“When you google Yeezy.com the adidas site comes before the Yeezy site. Members at adidas Stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back. Our partnership is done. You’re a 60 billion dollar company that froze my accounts. Now I’m back on my feet (no pun intended) and I’m not going to stand for this (no pun again). I did phenomenal work for you guys and because I stood up for myself y’all tried to intimidate and oppress me.”
Referring to when he tweeted that he was prepared to go “death con 3” on the Jewish community, Kanye felt that he was standing up for himself when he and adidas were having internal issues, and they used his antisemitic tweets to punish him writing, “everyone remembers I had major issues with adidas because of design theft and oppression before ‘the tweet.’”
Continuing to rant, Kanye then took aim at adidas’ current top notch designer, Jerry Lorenzo, and basically called him a fake friend who rode his coattails throughout their relationship saying, “side note y’all know Jerry was corny and disloyal for doing work with adidas after the way they handled things. I still showed up to his show that was a copy of my Hollywood bowl show being the so called bigger man, but I’m never doing that again for no one. It’s Yeezy over everything. Everyone that ever took a picture next to me that had their own clothing lines and agendas everyone knows they was acting like they were my friends to promote they weak ass fake Yeezy lines. They never wanted to truly work for the king. They wanted to use the king [to] Get paid more than they would get paid anywhere else.”
To be fair, many sneakerheads agree that Kanye helped make adidas a force again in the sneaker game, as his drops were just as highly anticipated as anything Nike and Jordan had on their calendar. At times people were more amped about the new Yeezy’s than they were about the latest Air Jordan release.
Unfortunately, his antisemitic statements and far-right ideology alienated much of his fanbase and supporters, and now, here we are.
As of yet, neither adidas nor Jerry Lorenzo has responded to Kanye’s Instagram post.
Check out Kanye’s latest rant below, and let us know your thoughts on his statement in the comments section.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best days to buy a new pair of sneakers on the cheap, the […]
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The second wave of Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God and adidas basketball collection is upon us and will be hitting the shelves before the year is out.
According to Sneaker News, the second wave of the popular basketball sneaker line has gotten a release date of December 2024, and while adidas’ Samba silhouette has taken over the streets, the new Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Night Brown” are sure to find some love among basketball players and overall sneaker aficionados.
Though no exact release day has been set just yet, best believe ballers will be keeping an eye out for these. The comfort level is said to be next level even though they have yet to become a staple on the professional basketball court.
Per Sneaker News:
To the uninitiated; the preceding I Basketball admittedly fell short of its intended performance capabilities and never found its way onto NBA hardwood. It did, however, gain traction as a lifestyle shoe among fans of Jerry Lorenzo’s established design language. The next Fear Of God basketball shoe speaks to the idea behind Lorenzo’s “ESSENTIALS” brand, emphasizing functionality while capturing the same aesthetic that’s made FOG a household name.
The “Night Brown” colorway comes as a sensible introductory look, saddled with a dark upper and light midsole. While full technical specifications haven’t been unveiled at the time of this writing, the shoe features a mesh base, sleek Three Stripes paneling, and warped radial tread underfoot. White and grey colorways have also been making rounds on social media, and as mentioned, Lorenzo previewed another version featuring a TPU cage in early October 2024. However, no details regarding that shoe have been floated just yet.
We can’t front, these joints actually look pretty spiffy. Just sayin’.
Check out pics of the Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Night Brown,” and let us know if you’ll be checking for these when they drop next month in the comments section below.
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The once successful partnership between Kanye West and adidas has reportedly been fully dissolved. The two parties have settled their legal battle.
As spotted on Sneaker News the apparel giant has confirmed that they no longer have any business ties to the rapper. During an third-quarter earnings call a reporter asked for an update regarding the brand’s current ties to Kanye West to which CEO Bjorn Gulden responded “There (aren’t) any more open issues and there is no… money going either way.” The Norwegian businessman went on to add “there were tensions on many issues (but) … both parties said we don’t need to fight any more.”
Kanye West and adidas originally announced their partnership back in 2014 after the “Stronger” performer claimed Nike failed to limited him to only creating sneakers. In 2015 YEEZY Season 1 debuted along his first adidas signature shoe. The Yeezy Boost 350 was a huge success with this model selling over 9,000 pairs in over 10 minutes. His line would go on to produce several iconic sneaker releases including the YEEZY 700, 300, Foam Runner and Slides.
On Oct. 7, 2022 adidas announced they would be ending the line after Kanye West made several antisemitic remarks. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness” a press statement read. Following the split adidas moved to exhaust all remaining YEEZY inventory via their CONFIRMED app and at adidas outlet stores.
Adidas has reached a settlement with Ye (formerly Kanye West) to resolve all outstanding legal claims stemming from the company’s decision to end its partnership with the rapper and his Yeezy brand.
The deal, announced by CEO Bjorn Gulden during a quarterly earnings call and first reported by Bloomberg, came roughly two years after Adidas announced it would terminate its years-long brand deal with Ye in the wake of his antisemitic statements and other erratic behavior.
“Both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore and withdrew all the claims,” Gulden said on the call, adding that neither side would pay the other as part of the settlement. “No one owes anybody anything anymore. So whatever was is history.”
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It’s unclear exactly what legal disputes were ongoing when the deal was reached. The two sides were engaged in private arbitration over the split last year, but the status of that case is unknown. A rep for Ye did not immediately return a request for comment on Adidas’s announcement.
Adidas, which operated a lucrative sneaker collaboration with West for nearly a decade, was one of many companies to terminate its relationship with the rapper in the fall of 2022 after a string of bizarre statements and actions, like unveiling a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week and claiming he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
It was a messy breakup for Adidas. The split left the company holding $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys and no easy option to unload them, contributing to a loss of $655 million in sales for the last three months of 2022.
Days after Adidas announced the split with West, court records show that the company demanded Yeezy return $75 million that had allegedly been deposited into its accounts. When Yeezy refused, Adidas secretly filed a case in federal court, seeking an order to immediately freeze those funds. A judge initially granted that motion, but then later unfroze the funds.
In the course of that litigation, both sides revealed that they were also engaged in a private arbitration case over the termination of the partnership. The exact parameters of the dispute were kept secret, but Adidas argued in public court documents that Ye’s “racist, antisemitic, and other offensive public statements and conduct” had caused “considerable damage to its brand” and led to the breakdown of the partnership.
“Adidas has multiple causes of action against Yeezy, resulting from Ye’s highly public and offensive conduct described above, which violated the terms of the agreement and justified adidas’s termination of that contract,” the company argued. “Those broader causes of action, as well as the dispute over [issues], will be resolved through arbitration.”
In a groundbreaking collaboration, global music phenom Bad Bunny and soccer legend Lionel Messi join forces to introduce a pioneering Adidas shoe line that epitomizes the golden juncture of sport and music: the Bad Bunny x Messi collection, scheduled to launch on Saturday (Oct. 26).
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Bad Bunny — whose dynamism has vaulted him from top-tier festivals to the upper echelons of global music icons — shared how their initial meeting was imbued with mutual insight and enthusiasm for this collection. “That first encounter with Messi was incredible. From the moment we got together, the vibe was good,” revealed the Puerto Rican superstar in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español. “We talked about our visions and what we wanted to achieve with the collection. Both of us are passionate about what we do, and that shows in every idea we shared. It was a smooth and natural process, and I will never forget it.”
Bad Bunny
Inoni Etel
The collection reimagines Adidas heritage through two iconic silhouettes: the Adidas Gazelle and the Adidas F50 cleat, each embodying the essence of its muse. The creative infusion is very personal, with references to their roots and triumphs. “I think we brought both my style and Messi’s into it, primarily basing it on the naturalness with which each of us approaches what we do. We were inspired by a 1949 Adidas shoe that featured the natural brown colors of leather,” noted Bad Bunny.
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Lionel Messi, meanwhile, spoke to Billboard Español about the role music plays in his life. “Music is connected to many aspects of life. Not only to soccer, although it is true that there is a special connection between both worlds, but also to moments of leisure, to workouts in the gym, to trips while driving,” he said. “Music is something I like very much and is present in several moments of my daily life,” he added, also mentioning that Bad Bunny is an artist that is “never missing” in his playlists.
Building on the theme of collaboration, Bad Bunny recalled a standout moment during the creative process: “A memorable moment for me was when we started to shape the vision for this collaboration. Working with someone as iconic as Messi and seeing how we each brought ideas and concepts to the table was truly unique.”
This venture’s momentum is fueled by the unwavering support of their global following via Adidas’ La Voz de los Fans campaign. “The fans’ influence has been fundamental in our careers, and this collaboration would not have happened without their passion,” Benito highlighted. “They inspire us to keep evolving and experimenting on every project. This campaign is a reflection of that connection, because without the fans, none of this would be possible.”
On the impact of his worldwide following, Lionel Messi also conveyed a sense of honor coupled with duty. “I am aware that there are a lot of people who follow me and a lot of kids too. For me it is a pride and a great responsibility,” said the Argentine global champion. “I always tried to be myself, but bearing in mind that there are people who notice me, who follow me and support me every day.”
Lionel Messi
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The collection, showcasing designs like the ‘X’ stripe heel and blue accents linking to Adidas’ heritage, transcends traditional sportswear to embody shared greatness and artistic synergy. Each piece is an homage, a collective memory crafted for the pitch and the playlists.
Both megastars see this collection as a symbol for future generations, exemplifying the merger of their realms and standing as a testament to collaborative greatness. “With Bad Bunny x Messi we hope to create a legacy that reflects this unique collaboration, inspiring new generations to follow their passions and work hard to achieve their dreams. We want this collaboration to become a symbol of unity for our Latino community and for the future,” said Bad Bunny.
As Messi and Bad Bunny continue to redefine paradigms in their fields, this collaboration is not just a testament to their stardom but a celebration of the crossroads of culture, music and sports.
The Bad Bunny x Messi collection is set to drop both online and in select flagship stores. For more info, visit adidas.com/badbunny and adidas.com/lionel_messi.
Adidas AG has won a court order dismissing a class-action lawsuit that claims the German sneaker giant violated securities laws by failing to warn its shareholders about Ye’s offensive behavior.
The case claimed that Adidas knew about serious problems with Ye (formerly Kanye West) as far back as 2018 but failed to disclose them, leaving investors facing losses when the company finally ended the partnership in 2022 over Ye’s antisemitic tirades and erratic behavior.
In a ruling Friday (Aug. 16), Judge Karin Immergut said she did not condone Ye’s conduct “erratic, inappropriate, and antisemitic” behavior and said it was “troubling” that it had happened at Adidas, but that it did not rise to the level of securities fraud.
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“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.”
Adidas ran a lucrative collaboration with Ye and his Yeezy apparel brand for nearly a decade. But the party ended in 2022, when the sneaker company (and many others) cut ties with the embattled rapper amid a wave of offensive statements he made about Jewish people. In an October 2022 statement announcing the split, Adidas said the rapper’s statements were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”
It’s been a messy breakup for Adidas. The split contributed to a loss of $655 million in sales for the last three months of 2022 and left Adidas holding $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys and facing tricky questions about how to dispose of them responsibly. Adidas also battled Ye in court over millions in company funds and disclosed that it was litigating other aspects of the divorce in private arbitration.
In May 2023, a group of investors took Adidas to court over the breakup, arguing that Adidas executives had been aware for years of the potential harm that could come from the Ye partnership but had failed to publicly share such concerns with shareholders, as required by U.S. securities law.
In particular, the lawsuit cited a November 2022 Wall Street Journal article reporting that Adidas executives feared for years that the Yeezy relationship could “blow up at any moment.” The article reported that West had made antisemitic comments in front of Adidas staffers, including suggesting that an album be named after Adolf Hitler. The Journal story also highlighted a 2018 presentation to then-CEO Kasper Rørsted that detailed the risks of the arrangement and contemplated cutting ties with him.
But in Friday’s ruling, Judge Immergut sided with arguments from Adidas that the company’s disclosure statements had not misled investors about the risk posed by Ye. In one passage, she reminded the plaintiffs that Ye had shown signs of erratic behavior well before the split with Adidas — quoting statements in which he said that “racism is a dated concept” and that slavery was a “choice.”
“This court would be remiss not to note the very public nature of Ye’s behavior before Fall 2022,” the judge wrote. “After all, courts are not required to exhibit a naiveté from which ordinary citizens are free.”
The judge gave the investors one final chance to refile an updated version of their case against Adidas, but she cast doubt on whether they could overcome the problems she had identified in her ruling.
Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return a request for comment.