Foot Locker reportedly decided not to sell Kanye West’s Yeezy shoes out of fear of backlash from the public. The decision came after Adidas relaunched the Yeezy brand in the early summer of 2023. Foot Locker had initially planned to restock Yeezys but changed their mind due to the possible negative response associated with West.
Foot Locker Removes Yeezys From Shelves
This decision by Foot Locker came after West’s controversial statements and actions, which led to other brand deals being severed. In October 2022, Adidas cut ties with West following his anti-semitic rant on Twitter.
As a result, Foot Locker removed Yeezy shoes from their shelves. Foot Locker, facing declining sales of Yeezys, was reportedly struggling to incorporate a charitable aspect into the shoe’s sale. This setback further contributed to their decision not to carry the Yeezy brand.
Adidas Revives Yeezy Sales
Adidas’ decision to part ways with West left them with $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezy products.
Other brands like Balenciaga and the Gap also terminated their partnerships with West. Even his bank partnership with JP Morgan Chase came to an end.
Adidas later announced they would sell the inventory in April instead of destroying it. The first batch of Yeezys generated $437 million in revenue, with $120 million going toward charities fighting hate and discrimination.
Yeezy Sock Shoes
In recent news, Kanye West’s holding company, Mascotte Holdings, filed a trademark for Yeezy “Sock Shoes.” The trademark application was submitted to the U.S. Patent Trademark Office on May 4, indicating a potential expansion of the Yeezy brand into the sock shoe market.
Dior Calls Off Collab With Travis Scott
Travis Scott faced a similar fate as Dior cut ties with him following the tragic ASTROWORLD incident, which claimed the lives of 10 people due to crowd surging. Dior had planned to release a collection in collaboration with Scott, but the partnership was terminated after the tragedy.