Today (Dec. 28), Kanye West officially unveiled the Yeezy Pods, his first sneaker release since splitting from Adidas in 2022.
Available in three sizes, the Pods feature a design akin to socks and are available for $200 on the rapper’s official website. The first colorway arrived in tonal black, with other shades rumored to drop in the future.
Earlier this month, the company welcomed Gosha Rubchinskiy as its head of design. On Dec. 13, West announced, “The arrival of this legendary Russian designer at Yeezy, the pre-eminent global brand in music and fashion, is a milestone in design history.”
Meanwhile, Adidas began releasing leftover Yeezy sneaker inventory in May. Despite West being in a controversial period in his career, demand seemingly didn’t slow up much. The footwear giant reportedly made $437 million in revenue, as reported by Wall Street Journal. They donated portions of the proceeds to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
“Six months ago, people said we should burn, destroy the product, and now we have found ways of selling it; we can use part of that revenue to actually do something good in society,” Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden told investors. “The Yeezy thing was something we were nervous about that worked.”
The Yeezy Pods announcement arrived on the heels of West’s recent apology to the Jewish community for his past comments and actions. Posted on his socials in Hebrew, he shared, “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
Fans also have Vultures to look forward to on Jan. 12, 2024. West’s joint project with Ty Dolla Sign is expected to feature Lil Durk, Kodak Black, Freddie Gibbs, and more.