Adidas to sell remaining Yeezy gear after being criticized for not ending deal with Ye sooner
It seems that Adidas is trying to make up for its slow response to the severing of business ties Kanye West after his anti-Semitic diatribe last year.
The German athletic apparel and footwear company, the largest manufacturer of sportswear in Europe, has decided to donate a portion of future profits from its Yeezy products to the Anti-Defamation League and other charities committed to combating discrimination and hatred, including racism. and anti-Semitism.’
TMZ reports that the company is expected to begin selling the rest of its Yeezy sneakers and other inventory items within days, marking the first time consumers will be able to purchase Yeezy products since Oct. 25, when Adidas cut its business ties with the rapper and entrepreneur broke up.
Adidas was criticized for not breaking ties with West sooner, with some critics pointing out that he started his offensive rants and tirades on social media and in interviews several weeks earlier in October.
Adidas first teamed up with the Atlanta native in 2013, and the two sides would strike a deal in 2016 that was described as the “most important collaboration ever between a non-athlete and an athletic brand,” according to USA today.
When it rains, it pours: In the wake of Kanye West’s rants and tirades in October 2022, including anti-Semitic remarks, Adidas will donate a portion of its upcoming profits from its remaining Yeezy products to the Anti-Defamation League and other charities goals
Along with the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute For Social Change, founded by George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd, will also benefit from Yeezy’s sell-off.
The institute works to provide resources to underfunded communities, similar to the ones he and George Floyd grew up in, and to fight injustice, it said. The Huntington News.
While it’s unclear exactly how much money will be given to the charities, what’s known is that Adidas estimates there’s about $1.3 billion worth of Yeezy products left since the company ended its partnership with the embattled Praise God rapper. .
The controversy behind the business feud for West began when he and some of his models wore a shirt that read “White Lives Matter” on the back for his Yeezy Paris Fashion Week show on Oct. 3.
The Southern Poverty Law Center says the phrase was adopted by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The controversy didn’t stop there for West, who then doubled down on his comments on Instagram and later took to Twitter to use anti-Semitic rhetoric in his posts and in interviews.
One of his most infamous posts was when he appeared to threaten Jewish people in a tweet shortly after his Instagram account was banned for content deemed anti-Semitic by some users.
“I’m a little sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going to death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he began in the controversial Oct. 8, 2022 post.
‘The funny thing is that I can’t actually be anti-Semitic, because black people are also Jewish. .
Large Yeezy inventory left: While it’s unclear exactly how much money from the Adidas-Yeezy deal will be given to charities, Adidas estimates there are about $1.3 billion worth of Yeezy products left since the company announced the partnership on October 25 ended.
Controversy! One of West’s most infamous comments during his social media diatribe and in interviews was when he appeared to threaten Jewish people by writing in a tweet that he was “dying 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Yeezy Sale Donations: Along with the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute For Social Change, founded by George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd, will also benefit from Yeezy’s sale
The post, which was criticized by several Jewish organizations, was later removed by Twitter for violating its rules.
West also had some extremely controversial recordings related to the tragic May 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
During an appearance on Drink Champs podcast, West claimed Floyd died of “fentanyl” and said a police officer’s knee “wasn’t even that on his neck,” as reported by NME.
He made the comments while discussing Candace Owens’ documentary The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd And The Rise Of BLM.
Public reaction was swift, with several companies including The Gap, Balenciaga and others deciding to end their relationships and branding deals with West.