WORDS BY JOSEPH FURNESS
Kanye West is much like an 18th-century pirate. Bear with me with this one. Similar traits include: being unafraid to jump ship (moving from Nike to Adidas in 2013), having a completely unapologetic attitude to life (just look at his Twitter account), taking shots at enemies (Taylor Swift) and having a knack for collecting gold (237 awards under his belt and counting).
So if Kanye is the modern-day Blackbeard, then what is his booty? No, not Kim. It’s his Adidas x Yeezy sneakers of course. And the holy grail of the treasure? The Yeezy Boost 350.
A decade-defining sneaker, the Yeezy Boost 350 is Kanye West and Adidas most successful silhouette. Why? Because not only do the sneakers look as fresh with gym gear as they do with date-night attire, they’re also insanely comfortable. This is down to the use of Adidas’ innovative materials, a primeknit upper upon a Boost sole. But where did it all begin and where is it heading next? With the help of Fresco Wilson, manager and official Youtube 'unboxer' of Stadium Goods, we put together a timeline of the history of the Yeezy Boost 350 - a sneaker sure to go down in history as one of the all-time greats.
2007-2013
Kanye moves from Nike to Adidas
“Kanye first made an impact in the sneaker community with his collaboration with Nike”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
Before boasting about his Yeezy brand ‘jumping over Jumpman’ (aka Air Jordans), Ye was working with Nike on a collaborative line of ‘Air Yeezys’. The high top sneaker was first released back in 2007 and was a huge success, longed for by sneaker enthusiasts globally. It was revealed that Nike refused to grant West with royalties from the sales of his sneaker designs and so he left the American sportswear brand in 2013. The rumours started about a move to Nike’s biggest competitor, Adidas.
3rd December 2013
Adidas Confirms collaboration with Kanye
It’s the start of something new. And just like Troy and Gabriella, this relationship was — and still is — a match made in heaven. On 3rd December 2013, Adidas confirmed their collaboration with the rapper, a deal that helped put Adidas back in the race.
27th June 2015
First Yeezy Boost 350 is released
“The 350 introduced Kanye’s first low-top style. With the boom of the Adidas Ultra Boost and consumers gravitating towards running styles, the Turtle Dove colourway dropped at the perfect time. The Turtle Dove is more than likely to be the most iconic of all the Yeezy 350 styles.”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
Having worked together on the Yeezy Boost 750 — the first model to come from the collaboration — Adidas and Kanye released the Yeezy 350. Covered in a grey and black pattern dubbed Turtle Dove, the release of the Yeezy Boost 350 was about to change everyone’s mind about what was a ‘cool sneaker’.
22nd August 2015
Pirate Black Yeezy Boost 350 is released.
“From what we’ve noticed in-store, the most popular colourway of the Yeezy 350 Boost V1 is the Pirate Blacks. They are very functional in regards to maximum wearability with multiple fits”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
Aesthetically speaking, more toned down than the Turtle Dove colourway, the Pirate Black was released in summer 2015. These were practically glued to Kim K’s feet for the best part of a year.
14th November 2015
Moonrock Yeezy Boost 350 is released
We love us some tonal, and this Moonrock iteration of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 has those muted shades on point. The colourway complimented early Yeezy season pieces that were released exclusively in earthy tones.
29th December 2015
Oxford Tan Yeezy Boost 350 is released
The Yeezy V1 ended on a high note. The Oxford Tan Yeezy 350 is one of the most sought-after models in the whole Yeezy x Adidas collection and a Stadium Goods favourite.
11th February 2016
The first preview of Yeezy Boost 350 V2
Taking place in Madison Square Gardens, the Yeezy Season 3 show (as part of AW16 NYFW) was blockbuster movie level big. The show helped put the Yeezy brand on the map in the luxury fashion market and also offered the first look at the Yeezy 350 V2.
The new sneaker was largely based on the original but removed the pull tab and Yeezy and Adidas branded side patches. Instead, the sneaker was presented with a translucent midsole, a new primeknit pattern that was embellished with a bold coloured stripe that read SPLY-350.
15th September 2016
The Yeezy American football boot, the Yeezy 350 Cleat is released
Yeezy made it to the field. Creating the boot using the upper of the Turtle Dove colourway combined with a studded sole; the Yeezy 350 Cleat was worn by sports players including Andre Hopkins who was famously fined $6,000 for wearing the shoes.
24th September 2016
First Yeezy Boost 350 V2 released
“The Yeezy 350 V2 tends to run small so it may best to purchase half a size up from your normal size”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
The first Yeezy Boost 350 V2 really made Kanye’s Adidas sneaker line a household name. With its gunmetal grey colourway and safety orange accenting, the Yeezy 350 Beluga is extremely distinctive (making it a hype-beast’s dream).
23rd November 2016
Black Friday Yeezy Boost 350 V2 colourways are released
We love Black Friday and apparently, so does Kanye. Available in Copper, Green and Red, these Yeezys are now considered deadstock (sneakerhead slang for extremely rare).
17th December 2016
Oreo Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
The moment when looking like a snack got a whole new meaning. Just as the black Friday pack, the Oreo colourway features a predominantly black Yeezy with a contrasting stripe upon it, hence its Oreo-like appearance.
11th February 2017
Bred Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
“The most popular Yeezy Boost 350 V2 colourway is the Bred. These fly out of the store and their versatility make them the best bang for your buck”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
West is all about evolving. The V2 got a slight makeover with the release of the Bred colourway. The bred colourway (black and red) was released with no contrasting stripe upon its primeknit and also brought back the much-missed pull tab from the V1.
25th February 2017
Zebra Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
Perhaps the most quintessential Yeezy sneaker ever, the Zebra Yeezy 350 has a place on every serious sneakerhead’s shoe rack. As well as being a Kardashian-Jenner fam favourite, Stadium Goods consider the Zebra one of the best Yeezy Boost 350s to exist.
29th April 2017
Triple White Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
The first Yeezy Boost 350 V2 to lose the ‘SPLY 350’ text on its side, making it the most simplistic Yeezy to be released. What’s not to love?
18th November 2017
‘Semi-Frozen Yellow’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
The stripes are back. This semi-frozen yellow Yeezy 350 is perhaps the boldest Yeezy to date, and also the rarest of them all. The divisive colourway (weird flex but ok) is the boldest Yeezy to date and arguably kick-started the neon trend of 2018.
25th November 2017
‘Beluga 2.0’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
Yet another instance of Kanye changing his mind (well, what did you expect, he is a Gemini). The Yeezy 350 Beluga 2.0 reworks the sneaker by swapping out the grey hue for a more silvery tone and reversing the colours of the stripe. Oh and this one features the pull tab. Not better, just different.
16th December 2017
‘Blue Tint’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
Arguably the most underrated Yeezy in the line-up, the Blue Tint utilizes the acclaimed stripe patterning of the Zebra and Beluga and updates it with an icy-blue hue. A perfect colourway for all seasons.
30th June 2018
‘Butter’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is released
After the blue-tint, the Yeezy 350 took a much needed 6-month hiatus to preserve the hype around the sneakers. Offering pastel vibes for summer, the clean look Yeezy is reminiscent of the cream white colourway from the year before. The Yeezy 350 Butter was released around the same time as the supermoon yellow Yeezy 500, Ye’s colour of the summer. And don’t worry millennials, this shoe contains no real dairy.
21st September 2018
1 Million ‘Triple White’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 are released
“Yeezy 350 is best styled with casual wear, especially with joggers. I’ve seen multiple fits that equate to what we know as the drip.”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
Kanye moving like Oprah (YOU GET A YEEZY, YOU GET A YEEZY). The biggest Yeezy 350 V2 drop in the history of the sneaker, Kanye was finally fulfilling his promise of granting everyone with Yeezys who wanted them. And what better Yeezy for a wide release than a triple white iteration?
23rd November 2018
‘Sesame’ Yeezy Boost 350 V2 release
Yeezy is at its best when it returns to its signature colour palette, and this Sesame colourway is giving us life. You just can’t go wrong with beigey shades.
December 2018
‘Static’ and 'Static Reflective' Yeezy Boost 350 V2 release
“The static colourway is highly anticipated. Based on the amount of traffic our unboxing video has generated, the hype looks to be as rich as the V2 when it was first introduced”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
If the Bred colourway was V2.5, then call this V2.9. Rumoured to be the last V2 colourway ever, the Static Yeezy Boost 350 features a transparent stripe, rigid in design, accompanied by erratic primeknit stitching. There are also rumours of a limited release of 5,000 pairs that are set to feature reflective stitching (let's hope some city cyclists cop a pair).
Spring 2019
Yeezy Boost 350 V3 release
“I hope that the coming introduction of the Yeezy 350 V3 brings some slight innovation but stays fairly true to the original silhouette”
- Fresco Wilson of Stadium Goods
What’s it going to look like? We’re not sure. Will we love it? Probably.
Leaked images show the Yeezy 350 V3 with a brand new primeknit pattern as well as the addition of a tongue tab. However, even if these images are legit, there’s no saying Kanye won’t change his mind on the design last minute (something — that you know by now — he’s renowned for).
