Kanye West and Adidas may soon be parting ways. The athletic wear retailer released a statement on Thursday (Oct. 7) about their partnership with the fashion designer. They spoke, in part, about their business model before commenting on Ye.
“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation, and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history,” the statement said. “We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it.”
Adidas announced plans to partner with Ye in 2013. By 2016, Ye agreed to allow the retailer to manufacture and distribute Yeezy products. According to Bloomberg, the partnership was so successful that Kanye’s business with Adidas and Gap was valued between $3.2 and $4.7 billion.
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Adidas Says Partnerships Also Require Mutual Respect
However, it seems Adidas is less focused on the coins they’ve made with the artist. Per the statement, their interpersonal relationship appears to have hit a wall.
“We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” the statement said.
To give context, in the past year Kanye seems to have made a habit of calling Adidas out. In June, he accused the company of creating a “fake Yeezy” slide. By August, he had words for Adidas for hosting a Yeezy day without allegedly getting his approval. The branded day has happened for the last few years and centers on the re-release of a number of Yeezy sneakers. Kanye told Complex the company also made hiring decisions without him and stole his designs for their shoes.
Ye Doubles Down On Accusations Of Adidas Stealing Designs
After the sneaker company released its statement on Thursday, Ye hopped on social media to clap back at the company. He reposted a CNBC tweet about Adidas’s statement and said his piece in the caption.
“F–K ADIDAS! I AM ADIDAS,” Ye wrote. “ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”
This week Ye has been back to being an active IG user! He’s mainly used his account to respond to ongoing criticisms of his ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt design.
“We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period,” Adidas said.
