Adidas Expands Collaboration with Kanye West, Adding Athletic Line and Yeezy Stores

On Wednesday, Adidas announced an expanded collaboration with “Nike-traitor and “performance athlete Kanye West, titled “Adidas Kanye West.” The collaboration, which Adidas called “the most significant partnership ever created between an athletic brand and a non-athlete,” will involve a line of Yeezy streetwear, including shoes, clothing and accessories for all genders. Adidas Kanye West also includes workout gear and will be managed by a team of designers from Portland, Ore. Stores dedicated to the Yeezy collection and Kanye’s name will also be created, though it is unclear where or when those stores, which “will serve as distinct hubs for Adidas and West-developed Yeezy product,” will open. The brand will also be sold in Adidas stores and online.

In the past, Adidas has worked with other musicians like Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams and Pusha T, but the sportswear company has never invested this much into a line from a non-athlete. In 2014, the brand worked with Kanye to release two new sneakers, the Yeezy Boost 750s and 350s, which quickly sold out and helped them increase their sales by 12 percent that year. They later rolled out a high-end apparel collection, Yeezy Season 1.

Said Eric Liedtke, Adidas CMO, in a press release:

Kanye is a true creator who has the ability to see things others don’t. We are excited and honored to build on this partnership, and eagerly look forward to defining the future together. With Adidas + Kanye West, we are exploring new territories by opening up the sports world to Kanye’s creativity. This is what Adidas has always been about, empowering creators to create the new.