Patrick Johnson 
Kanye West’s adidas Yeezy 350 Boost is undoubtedly one of the top sneakers of 2015, but the silhouette has been met with its fair share of criticism. Whether the model too closely resembles the Roshe Run only with a premium price point, or you simply just can’t get your hands on a pair despite the promise that they’d be more accessible, there’s a justifiable reason to be upset regarding Kanye’s second collaborative effort with the three stripes. Being racist though? That’s what Kanye had to say about his critics in a recent interview with ShowStudio’s “In Camera” series. In the video, Complex snagged a snipped of Kanye being skeptical about why people didn’t like the model, saying: “They saw the 350s and acted like they didn’t like them because they’re racist.”
Kanye has been known for bold proclamations for well, it’s Kanye we’re talking about and that’s what he does. He also went onto say: “There’s a time when, you know, when Michelangelo… I’m sure there were people who were sculpting better than him. But he made David. Is there a time where [you] can go on the Internet and find a shoe that people want more than my shoes? Well go f*** yourself then if it isn’t, and don’t ask me no stupid sh** like that again. With the love [laughs].”
But often times when one digs deeper into what he’s saying, a dialog snippet doesn’t quite paint the whole picture. Whether it was him fighting to be taken seriously in the fashion world or even getting Nike to shell out more SKUs for a wider product launch only for Ye to turn to rival adidas to finally get the creative control he felt he deserved, Kanye has always been met with skepticism in the creative field. But for something as subjective as disliking a sneaker pointing to underlying racism? What do you think of that statement? The two hour video is below if you’re interested in watching.
