Adidas have announced that they are reviewing their current partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy line. The sportswear giant feels that the partnership is not in line with its beliefs of “mutual respect”.
The statement from Adidas reads: “Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history. We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it.”
The statement continues: “We also recognise that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
Back in June, Kanye criticised Adidas for a variety of things, ranging from stealing his designs to not seeking his approval for Yeezy Day. The general manager of Adidas, Daniel Cherry III, was also a target for Kanye on social media, where he frequently attacked him.
Kanye had also called out Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. In September, he posted a picture of Rorsted as part of a photoshopped New York Times front page, claiming he had died. Kanye responded to the Adidas statement by writing on Instagram, “FUUUUUUCK ADIDAS, I AM ADIDAS.”
In August, Rorsted said: “He’s had a tremendous impact globally for us. Kanye is our most important partner worldwide. We have a very, very good relationship with him. We communicate with him on a very ongoing basis. And we’re very proud of that relationship.”
However, that relationship appears to be coming to an end. While Kanye’s reach is global and brings in more revenue for Adidas, perhaps the recent ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt controversy was the tipping point.
