adidas Has Placed the Yeezy Partnership "Under Review"

adidas has announced that they’re placing the YEEZY line — and, by extension, their partnership with Ye — “under review.” In a statement provided to Hypebeast by an adidas spokesperson, the company says that “all [its] successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values” and that “after repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review.” The full statement can be seen below.

adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history. We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it. We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.

Ye lashed out at adidas back in June, accusing the company of everything from stealing his designs to “not getting his approval” for YEEZY Day. adidas GM Daniel Cherry III and outgoing CEO Kasper Rorsted were also targets of the rapper and designer’s ire, with Ye frequently roasting both individuals on social media. In September, Ye said that adidas had offered him a $1 billion USD buyout, and mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg that he’d be leaving adidas when his current contract with the company (set to expire in 2026) ended. In recent weeks, the DONDA 2 artist has come under fire for his divisive YZY SZN 9 fashion show that featured “White Lives Matter” T-shirts, which may have played into the brand’s decision as well.

The YEEZY partnership between Ye and adidas reaches back to 2013, with models like the YEEZY BOOST 350 V2, YEEZY BOOST 700 and YEEZY FOAM RUNNER growing into cultural icons and giving adidas a cultural powerhouse of a line — one so strong that attendees to Ye’s YEEZY Season 3 show in 2016 were compelled to chant “f*ck Nike.” The line’s profits live up to its impact as well, with sales from the YEEZY licensing deal reaching a whopping $1.7 billion USD in 2021, 7 percent of adidas’ annual revenue. Per a private document reviewed by Bloomberg, the total value of Ye’s businesses with adidas and GAP (a partnership that was terminated last month) is between $3.2 and $4.7 billion USD. YEEZY footwear will continue to release as scheduled for now, but there’s currently no word on future production. Ye took to his Instagram on Thursday to make a since-deleted post that read “F*CK ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS.”

This is a developing situation, so stay tuned for more info as soon as it’s available.

For more YEEZY news, see how the fashion industry has taken Ye to task after his controversial Yeezy SZN 9 show.