June 13th, 2012 by Aaron Hope
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Will the Nike Air Yeezy 2 launch this past weekend wind up as the single biggest sneaker story of 2012? We’ll look back from the precipice of ’13 remembering how the second Kanye West x Nike Sportswear release melted a corner of the internet, and barring a surprise on the order of the Nike Mag or something extra special from Jordan Brand, Mr. West’s best yet is a safe bet to top all the year-end best-of lists. A huge part of the Air Yeezy 2′s sweeping success is its exclusivity and how tough it is to get a pair, but could we ever see a bizarro world where Yeezys are so limited Ye himself can’t even get a pair? That’s the premise for Ree’s latest Sn’eads cartoon, one that includes the latest Kanye in Air Jordan VIs sighting. Have a look at the video in full after the jump, let us know if you been had Yeezy 2s and let us know if you’ve had any luck grabbing a pair in the aftermath of Saturday’s launch.
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June 12th, 2012 by John K.
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The gap between signature shoe 1 and II is most often the widest among all others breaks between volumes. The Air Jordan, Zoom LeBron, and Zoom Kobe, etc. have all withstood that extra distance in the evolutionary jump, with the respective sequel taking on a much more distinct persona of the individual it was designed for. The Air Yeezy, however, is the exception to that rule; the first Yeezy, which officially released back in 2009, had some heavy expectations on its shoulders as it would represent the entire ‘sneakerhead’ constituency into one design. A bulky strap, a mega-high ankle cut, custom-designed lace-locks, an all-over ‘Y’ Yeezy press-mold print, glow-in-the-dark outsoles – it was the perfect sneakerhead’s shoe designed by perhaps the exemplar of the sub-culture in Kanye West. The Air Yeezy is also credited as the first signature shoe for an influential non-athlete, so the finished product was certainly an enticing news story for media outlets outside the bounds of the sneaker culture; the biggest pop culture superstar is getting his own Nike sneaker – this we gotta see.
The public outcry for a sequel followed not much after the mid-2009 release of the Air Yeezy, and since we first spotted it with our own eyes during the February 2011 world premiere of Kobe Bryant’s ‘Black Mamba’ short, the Air Yeezy 2 was a massive ongoing headline over the last sixteen months. The sneaker was kept under heavy wraps, with Kanye himself acting as lone ‘trailer’ as we witnessed him rotate a variety of different colorways on the street and during live musical performances. Eventually (in a long and dragging saga), Nike unveiled the final release information and the Air Yeezy 2 released globally this past Saturday, but what was already considered to be one of the toughest sneaker acquisitions of the year turned out to be much more difficult due to a variety of factors, with many pointing to the overall mainstream movement of ‘sneakers’ being the primary culprit. The landscape of the Air Yeezy 2 release was in clear contrast with the original Air Yeezy release; while many stores – official Nike retailers included – celebrated the momentous Yeezy occasion with themed in-store events, the dangerously high demand and ultra-low supply raised major concerns for Nike and ultimately forced the release to take on a ‘quick and painless’ approach; the Twitter RSVP took center stage (with controversial results) while other stores depended on controlled raffle/lottery arrangements, and a massive chunk of the hungry were left un-fed. The demand remained, and so the resale market value of the Air Yeezy 2 eclipsed that of the original Air Yeezy at its highest point, reaching jaw-dropping amounts in a short period of time.
The design contrast between the Air Yeezy and Air Yeezy 2, displayed in the following gallery, also speaks on Kanye West’s changing tastes in fashion and style, but surely Kanye’s own sneaker obsession played a major role in the design concept as the base of the shoe is shared with one of Nike’s most revered designs – the Air Tech Challenge. Above it is a slimmer, sleeker, and more luxurious build, opting for extravagant tastes like anaconda-skin and intricate details like the hieroglyphics and Horus logo on the tongue. The Air Yeezy 2 certainly met Nike’s fastidious demands of a signature shoe, as the overall design exuded Kanye’s more recent fascination with high-end luxury and fashion and grandiose self-imagery. The Air Yeezy 2 was a clear overlap of the sneakerhead community and the pop-culture/contemporary fashion circles, becoming a must-have item for a much larger population of fashion-forward, but Kanye’s ongoing relationship with Nike, based not only on this release but his participation in Kobe Bryant’s ‘The Kobe System’ ad campaign, will always be on the sneakerhead’s radar – regardless of where (or when) fashion trends evolve. Will there be an Air Yeezy 3? Kanye’s already hinted at that a few months back, but for now, let’s enjoy the Air Yeezy 2 for what it is and see for yourself just how similar and different the Air Yeezy 1 and 2 truly is by flipping through the gallery below.
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June 12th, 2012 by John K.
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Oh Kim Kardashian, just a few short months with the man and it already looks like Yeezy taught you well. After Kanye West and Kim linked up her sneaker game was immediately on the rise, popping up in the Air Jordan III ‘White/Cement’, a sneaker selection no doubt influenced by Mr. West. This time around is another clear case of Kanye passing some heat off to his boo, as we’re pretty sure Kim Kardashian wasn’t caught lining up outside of the local sneaker spot for the Nike Air Yeezy 2. Hit the jump with us for the full shot of her and Kanye in their matching “his and hers” Black/Solar Red Nike Air Yeezy 2′s, a release so crazy that some people stood in line for a duration almost as long as Kim’s last marriage.
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June 11th, 2012 by Brendan Dunne
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The smoke has cleared and the dust has settled. Do you have your Nike Air Yeezy 2′s? It was no secret going into this weekend that this was set to be the biggest release date in a while, if not of all time. The ‘Galaxy’ fever that went around earlier in 2012 served as a bit of a precursor, showing to what lengths people were willing to go to to get their hands on some sneakers. Following that release, an event that plenty of mainstream media outlets picked up, Nike started shuffling things around a bit, imposing their new Twitter RSVP system, a system that seemed tailor made to avoid the same type of stuff going down when the Nike Air Yeezy 2 inevitably arrived.
Did it work? Well, sorta. Most official Nike doors managed to shake off the lineups and such, with the handful of premium Nike Sportswear spots that did have them here in the US opting for the Twitter RSVP option on their pairs (it was either that or try your luck at Nikestore). The raffle system was also a popular choice, with big box stores like Footlocker’s House of Hoops franchise doling out the chance to purchase via email raffle, and many boutiques passing out tickets, wristbands, and the like. A few spots around the world proved however that you can have campouts without chaos, like Social Status in NC who treated their patrons to a steakhouse dinner complete with their pairs being served up on platters at the end of it all. SoleBox out in Berlin had plenty of folks lined up as well, and Nike Wowsan 107 in South Korea had quite the crowd with a raffle announced via their LED banner. Did you get your pair? Will this release ever be topped? Will the campouts carry on or is something more orderly a necessary step? Click through to check out the full photos from the Nike Air Yeezy 2 release worldwide and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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June 11th, 2012 by John K.
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If you managed to cop one of the Air Yeezy 2s for retail, that’s definitely a cause for celebration! We’ve already showed you a great Air Yeezy 2 “Pure Platinum” sneaker cake before, but is this ‘restock’, by Kraze Kitch Bake Shop, the better overall attempt? These limited pictures show us that not one of the meticulous details of the Air Yeezy 2 construction was left behind, but whether or not this ‘Wolf Grey’ Yeezy concoction is better than the first is truly up to you. Take a few more looks at this latest sneaker cake after the jump, and let us know if you managed to cop your Yeezy 2s at retail!
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June 10th, 2012 by John K.
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Missed out on the Air Yeezy 2? Maybe you should opt for this ‘game’-worn sample. This unreleased sample has been spotted on Kanye’s feet during live shows and is awfully similar to the ‘Grammy’ pair that Kanye wore during the annual award show. This particular sample features a hint of red on the outsole and a thicker canvas upper (the Grammy version used perforated leather and had no red on the outsole along with a solid black midsole). Just looking at these samples makes you wish that Nike released more colorways of the original Air Yeezy, but rest assured that the Air Yeezy 3 is already in the works! Check out some new shots of this sample below and see what the going rate is now by visiting the auction from saveshb1 on eBay.
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June 9th, 2012 by Brendan Dunne
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Do you have a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 2′s in your possession? Considering the mad scramble that went down around the globe today as people tried to lock up theirs with the release date finally upon us you should consider yourself pretty lucky if you do. And hey if you couldn’t get your size you can always go a few sizes down, quite a few in the case of these little trinkets, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 miniatures from Gooder. The ceramic pieces mimic the look of the most talked about sneakers in the world right now, with both the Pure Platinum and Black/Solar Red colorways available. Will you pick these up to compliment your pair or just to say you have some in case you miss out on the real deal? Let us know in the comments below and make sure you check out all the shots of these Nike Air Yeezy 2 accessories.
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June 8th, 2012 by John K.
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Did you really need to be reminded? Nike Sportswear’s 21 Mercer and Montalban have completed their Twitter RSVPs, Foot Locker House of Hoops accepted online entries for their own raffle, and sneaker shops worldwide are conducting their own Air Yeezy 2 releases by way of raffles and so forth. It’s clear that after February’s chaotic release-night events for the Galaxy Foams, Nike’s newly implemented release date procedures have worked out quite well as the peace has been kept. Of course, leaving all your hopes on pure chance might not sit well with those who have earned their coveted kicks through hardcore camping, but getting the Air Yeezy 2 is like winning the sneaker lottery anyway.
It’s been a long three-year wait for the sequel to the original Air Yeezy 2 surface, and considering all the media hype that came attached to the sneaker, will the Air Yeezy 2 have what it takes to be Sneaker News’ best sneaker of the year? Remember, the original Air Yeezy lost out to the Air Jordan XI ‘Space Jam’ for the number 1 spot, but it all depends on what goes down for the rest of the year. With that said, we can now pass the Air Yeezy 2 chapter in the book of kicks for now, but should new colorways pop up (like that Kobe collaboration), we’ll keep you updated. There may still be some Air Yeezy 2s up for grabs and we still have Nikestore’s release to look forward to, so be sure to get familiar with the release procedure of your local store (listed against below), so let us know if you’ve secured your pair for tomorrow’s release!
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