Since Kanye West stepped into the limelight he has been on a challenging mission to create outside of his musician box. He is a glorified rapper, but many have doubted his artistry, design-eye, and creative ingenuity. For a genius this is frustrating, and Kanye voiced his feelings in the following 2013 interview with BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe:
“Well I’ve reached a point in my life where my ‘Truman Show’ boat has hit the painting, and I’ve got to a point that Michael Jackson did not break down. I have reached the glass ceiling as a creative person, as a celebrity. When I say that it means I want to do product I am a product person, not just clothing, but water bottle design, architecture, everything that you could think about. And I’ve been at it for 10 years and I look around and I say, ‘Wait a second, there’s no one around here in this space that looks like me and if they are they’re quiet as fuck.’ So that means wait a second, now we are seriously in a civil rights movement.”
Every project, every interview, and every meeting Kanye West fights for creative achievement no matter who you are. His frustration he expressed in 2013 came to a head in 2014 when Nike refused royalties in his contract, despite the success of the Air Yeezy silhouettes. This led to a welcoming home for Mr. West at adidas as he states, "adidas was a company that was flexible and used to dealing with creatives enough to allow me to create something that was very close to my heart." Yeezy Season 1, adidas 750 Yeezy Boost, and the newest development--adidas Yeezy 350 Boost are all products of Kanye's struggle he wishes everybody to enjoy.
Following the success of his high-top 750 sneaker Ye extends his footwear prowess with the low-top 350 causally dressed in a grey-melange Primeknit® upper. At first glance the sneaker is easily compared to Nike's Roshe Run, but the 350 boasts a minimalist aesthetic seen as reflective rope laces mix with the grey colorway and the heel tab appears to be added solely for function. Walk on clouds thanks to adidas' comfortable Boost sole unit. The next installment to Kanye's vision releases globally at select adidas locations on June 27 for $200 USD. "Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says, no matter how they try to compromise you, compromise your vision," says the artist, and let this sneaker be a testament to that very statement.