Adidas has begun selling off sneakers that were created in partnership with the artist Ye (formerly Kanye West) before the German sportswear company cut ties with the celebrity.
Adidas says a "significant amount" of money made from its remaining inventory of the "Yeezy" brand sneakers will be SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Centerdonated to organizations that are fighting antisemitism, racism and hate, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, founded by George Floyd's brother.
Adidas ended its partnership with Ye in October, after he made a string of antisemitic remarks.
It's still unclear whether Ye will receive any profits from the shoes, which currently range in price from $70 to $260 a pair and went on sale in the U.S. on Wednesday.
The company says it consulted with "a diverse group" of employees, organizations and consumers before deciding what to do with the leftover product. Adidas said it followed through on committed production orders even after the partnership was terminated in order to protect supply chain partners.
In February, Adidas estimated that the decision to not sell the existing Yeezy merchandise would cut the company's full-year revenue by about $1.28 billion and its operating profit by $533 million. In the first quarter alone, the discontinuation of the Yeezy business cost Adidas nearly $440 million in sales.
In April, investors announced they would sue Adidas over Ye's remarks, blaming the company for knowing about Ye's problematic behavior years before cutting ties with him and ending the collaboration. Adidas denied the allegations.
NPR's Emily Olson contributed reporting.
2025-05-04 21:441408 view
2025-05-04 20:46144 view
2025-05-04 20:222774 view
2025-05-04 19:471837 view
2025-05-04 19:411010 view
2025-05-04 19:25362 view
How do you bring the African Diaspora to the Grammys?Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento's cont
Major elements of a gag order preventing Donald Trump from commenting publicly about certain people
The Hawaii Five-0 family has lost one of its own. Actor Taylor Wily, who starred as Kamekona on the