Exclusivity has been the main appeal behind any of Kanye West's sneaker designs since his time at Nike. Not everyone walks around with Yeezy sneakers on their feet and anytime when a launch of a new design comes around, it's like Christmas for sneakerheads across the world.
Getting your hands on a pair of Yeezys usually means one of two things: you have a pair of exclusive sneakers to rock or you can make some money reselling them. They tend to sell out quickly and the demand is much higher than the amount of shoes on the market. Simple economics means that the price of the shoe will increase after the retail launch.
Come September 21 of this year however, one pair of Kayne's collection will be released to the masses.
On both adidas.com and yeezysupply.com, there will be a re-release of the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 "Creme White." This go around however, there will be millions of pairs available to the masses.
"Since I've been making sneakers I've always wanted as many people as possible to have them.
On September 21 we're doing our largest drop ever of the 350 V2 Triple White. Go to http://YEEZYSUPPLY.com/triple-white and sign up to get them," Kayne tweeted on August 20.
Now in my opinion, this is a great thing for sneaker fans everywhere. This particular colorway is the simplest design of the V2's, and now fans of the shoe are able to get a pair without completely breaking the bank.
The announcement however, did not sit well with a lot of people. Sneakerheads, who tend to flip these releases for money, were outraged when Kayne "ruined" the exclusivity of the sneaker.
A sneakerhead from my hometown, Jon Force, has been flipping sneakers on the side for the past few years and he talked to me about his thoughts on the massive restock.
"For me, as somebody who owns Yeezys, it's a bittersweet moment when Kanye said that they were restocking creams with basically an unlimited stock," Force said. "It makes me happy because it means that I will have virtually no problem securing a pair for myself, but at the same time it makes them less special because anyone can get their hands on a pair."
To a point Force and other sneakerheads are correct...kind of. One of the "special" things about Yeezys are that they are unique and rare. You barely see them on the feet of anyone. However, even with the large restock, the cost of the shoes are still retailing for a whopping $220, which anyone can tell you is on the pricier side of the sneaker market.
Also, the millions that will now be in circulation come September will continue to hover around retail price even after the launch date, which kicks any possibility of being able to resell this drop for profitable amounts of cash.
"As a reseller, it's killer for me. I think that the resell market really is at a standstill now," Force said.
While the resell market may take a large hit, the popularity of the Yeezy model does not look to be slowing down. Kanye just announced the release of two glow-in-the-dark models coming out sometime in the near future, and a white "salt" colorway of the 500's have been teased everywhere on social media as of late.
On top of this is the fact that the rarer colorways are still going to be just as rare and sought after. The "Black Friday" pack which contained the "Green," "Red" and "Copper" colorways, are some of the most limited pairs of 350 V2's on the market. Prices are still easily around $600 and up. Not too mention the original 350 design, which can range anywhere from $1000 to $2000.
The point that should be taken from this though is that overall, the restock is a good thing for most people.
Wearing a sneaker simply because other people do not have it should not be the reason one decides to don a pair of kicks. You should wear a pair of shoes because you like them and in the case of a recording artist or an athlete with a signature shoe, you vibe with what their message is or their creative process.
I do not agree with all the political views of Kanye, but I respect his ability as a recording artist and how he has overcome the mental illness that he deals with. Most importantly though, I like the shoes that he designs.
Mark your calendars people, the Yeezy is here for the masses.
