FRANKFURT (AP) – Shoe and sports clothing maker Adidas said on Monday it had started a third sale of the Yeezy sneakers it was left with after severing ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
The company has accompanied the sales with donations to groups fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Adidas broke up with Ye in October 2022 over his antisemitic and other offensive comments. It has sought a way to responsibly dispose of EUR1.2 billion worth of unsold shoes.
The company said it plans to release the remaining Yeezy inventory in the course of this year.
The company said the latest release started on Monday on digital platforms. The range available will be products from 2022 including what Adidas said were some of its most popular designs. Last year Adidas earned EUR750 million in revenue from two Yeezy releases, down from EUR1.2 billion in 2022.
The company spent months looking for a solution. Burning the shoes was ruled out, restitching them to hide the brand rejected as dishonest, and giving them away could have created a resale market. Instead it decided to sell them and donate part of the proceeds.
