Kanye West’s grievances with adidas resurfaced this week, as the artist-turned-designer took to Instagram on January 7 to express frustrations about lingering tensions following their high-profile split. West criticized the company for allegedly undermining his brand by redirecting online searches for “Yeezy” to adidas’ website. In a lengthy post, he reiterated his role in revitalizing the sneaker giant’s image while denouncing its actions as a betrayal of their past partnership.
The fallout stems from West’s controversial statements and actions in 2022, including antisemitic remarks that prompted adidas to sever ties with him despite the success of their eight-year collaboration. In his post, West accused the brand of exploiting his creative vision while freezing his accounts during their fallout. “I did phenomenal work for you guys, and because I stood up for myself, y’all tried to intimidate and oppress me,” he wrote, defending his actions as resistance to corporate overreach.
West’s frustrations extended to designer Jerry Lorenzo, whom he accused of disloyalty for continuing to collaborate with adidas. Describing Lorenzo as “corny and disloyal,” West alleged that others in the fashion world used their association with him to advance personal agendas. He also criticized Lorenzo’s work, implying that his projects lacked originality and mirrored elements of West’s own designs. “They never wanted to truly work for the king,” he wrote.
Despite the incendiary nature of his comments, West’s influence on sneaker culture remains undeniable. His Yeezy designs helped adidas achieve unprecedented relevance in the competitive sneaker market, with many releases rivaling the hype of Nike and Jordan launches. For years, Yeezy drops dominated headlines, reshaping consumer enthusiasm for the brand. However, West’s public controversies have since diminished his cultural standing, leaving his future in the industry uncertain.
Neither adidas nor Lorenzo has responded publicly to West’s latest remarks. The episode underscores the broader challenges faced by global brands navigating partnerships with volatile celebrity figures, as well as the complexities of balancing creative collaboration with corporate accountability. For West, it appears the wounds from his adidas breakup are far from healed.
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