Pharrell Is Saving adidas, Not Kanye

Are you surprised?

Fashion
69,867 Hypes 0 Comments

While Kanye West’s Yeezy line may be making all the headlines, the imprint isn’t actually what’s raking in cash for adidas. The once-ailing sportswear retailer has another celebrity name to thank — and that is Pharrell Williams. The longtime adidas collaborator declared 2015 “The Year of the Superstar” and released the classic shoe in 50 colorways. Not only that — there were metallic iterations, glow-in-the-dark, artist collaborations and more. Well, this strategy sure worked out because it has been reported that adidas sold over 15 million pairs of the shoe last year. In other words, the Superstars are now a billion-dollar industry.

On the other hand, Kanye West’s designs are all limited edition and have definitely offered adidas a new edge against competitor Nike. While the limited releases may be why he’s not helping adidas make bank, the price of the Yeezys and how coveted they are put adidas back on the map (adidas claims to be the most popular sneaker brand on Instagram, mostly due to Yeezys).

adidas’s classic sneakers have also made waves in high fashion. Céline’s Phoebe Philo had models walk down the runway with Stan Smiths back in 2014. The shoe is now a staple for men and women and are ubiquitous worldwide. With all that said, adidas Originals’ revenue surged by 46 percent in the most recent quarter.

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

Pharrell's adidas Hu NMD Animal Print Goes Gray
Footwear

Pharrell's adidas Hu NMD Animal Print Goes Gray

Another exotic colorway for the duo’s iconic silhouette.

Pharrell's adidas Hu NMD S1 RYAT Arrives in "Focus Olive"
Footwear

Pharrell's adidas Hu NMD S1 RYAT Arrives in "Focus Olive"

Supported by pink accents.

Pharrell Teases an adidas Humanrace Samba
Footwear 

Pharrell Teases an adidas Humanrace Samba

Wearing the shoes at Day 2 of Mighty Dream Forum.


Pharrell's Appointment at Louis Vuitton Continues the Era of Multi-Hyphenate Creative Directors
Fashion 

Pharrell's Appointment at Louis Vuitton Continues the Era of Multi-Hyphenate Creative Directors

Is LV’s investment in cultural tastemakers over traditional designers their key to success?

An Incredible 4-Year Timelapse Video of the Shanghai Tower's Construction
Travel

An Incredible 4-Year Timelapse Video of the Shanghai Tower's Construction

Joe Nafis records the rise of the world’s second tallest building.

An Official Look at the Air Jordan 5 Retro Low "Fire Red"
Footwear

An Official Look at the Air Jordan 5 Retro Low "Fire Red"

A low-top version of the classic Air Jordan V colorway.

Kanye West Explains Pirate Bay Tab
Music

Kanye West Explains Pirate Bay Tab

“It’s obviously not my computer.”

2 Chainz Battles Lil Wayne in "Bounce" Video
Music

2 Chainz Battles Lil Wayne in "Bounce" Video

Fresh off their newly-released collaborative album.

Jon Bellion Continues to Impress
Music 

Jon Bellion Continues to Impress

The New York-based singer/songwriter delivers stellar acoustic version of “All Time Low.”


Kendrick Lamar Takes Some Time off in Jamaica
Music 

Kendrick Lamar Takes Some Time off in Jamaica

He did what most tourists do.

Kanye Spotted Wearing New Yeezy Boosts at LAX Airport
Footwear

Kanye Spotted Wearing New Yeezy Boosts at LAX Airport

Teasing us with more looks from Yeezy Season 3.

Conor McGregor Nearly Takes out Conan O'Brien With a Capoeira Spin Kick
Entertainment

Conor McGregor Nearly Takes out Conan O'Brien With a Capoeira Spin Kick

“If you really hit me, I will die before you even hit me.”

'NeoWave' Posters Bring Back Retro Sci-Fi Art
Art

'NeoWave' Posters Bring Back Retro Sci-Fi Art

Artist James White resurrects the genre with updated forms.

Tinder Will Include a Share Button So You Can Play Matchmaker
Tech

Tinder Will Include a Share Button So You Can Play Matchmaker

Share the love.

More ▾
 
Subscribe to our Newsletter

Gain access to exclusive interviews with industry creatives, think pieces, trend forecasts, guides and more.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.