Adidas Resumes Sales of Kanye West Sneakers After Cutting Ties Over Anti-Semitic Meltdown

AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File

Adidas resumed selling Kanye West’s clothing line this week after initially cutting ties with the rapper following his stint of anti-semitic comments last year.

In October 2022, the company decided to part ways with the rapper after he riddled his Twitter and Instagram feeds with anti-semitic remarks, causing many of his brand deals to fall through.

But the move left Adidas with a stockpile of merchandise that they could no longer sell. By February 2023, the company estimated that not selling the Yeezy line would cut their full yearly revenue by “$1.28 billion and its operating profit by $533 million,” according to NPR.

The company announced that, after consulting with many groups, it has decided to begin selling the remaining items from the collection while donating a portion of the profit “in support of the fight against discrimination, hate, racism and anti-semitism.”

Courtesy Adidas

“Since terminating the YEEZY partnership in October, adidas has been exploring multiple scenarios for the potential use of the existing YEEZY inventory. The process involved seeking feedback and listening to a diverse group of employees, organizations, communities, and consumers for how to responsibly manage the existing product,” the company said in a statement.

The company’s CEO Bjørn Gulden said, “We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities. There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it.”

It’s unclear if West will receive any profits.

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