Clean Your Shoes

As Kanye and Adidas continue to make good on their promise on more Yeezys for more people, we have to wonder one thing: Will there come a time when a Yeezy model sits on a shelf?

It’s been recently announced that the Zebra colorway of the 350 V2 will be restocking, and even more, sooner than originally thought. While the details of the quantity is not yet known to us, if this release follows suit of the Cream/Triple White release, then we can look forward to a large amount of these Yeezys available for realease. Pair this with the fact that the Static colorway will drop shortly after the release of the Zebra, and we can then start to see a trend in Yeezy releases.

If Yeezy models continue to (re-)release in bigger quantities and in increased frequency, the current luster and value at which we place (and price) the Yeezy will be no more. On StockX this past week, thanks to the help of my friend Adrian, I learned that this recent Triple White/Cream release is going for under retail at size 7.5. So just imagine if that shoe was released in stores. Within weeks, we would see it marked down in price, still sitting on the shelves. And by sitting on the shelves, I don’t mean the shelves of Flight Club or Stadium Goods. I mean the shelves of Foot Locker and Shoe Palace. Mind you, this idea wouldn’t be that farfetched, seeing as the Beluga v2 once dropped in Shoe Palace.

So, if the Yeezy line got to the point of GR status with the current trend, everyone that doesn’t own a 750 or 350 v1 will probably feel some kind of way knowing that they had some sort of exclusivity all these years only to have their shoe(s) possibly depreciate in value precipitously in such a small span of time. The upcoming Zebra re-release is going to be a blockbuster release as it was one of the more popular colorways to drop of the 350 v2. Everyone that has a pair at the first drop will now wait and see how their investment will fair after this upcoming offering. Will their Zebras drop in value on StockX and other markets as the Triple White/Cream did?

Let’s move on from the re-releases. What about newer drops like the Sesame or the Static? If they are released in bigger quantities instead of the very limited offerings that we were once used to seeing from the Yeezy, do we see a time and a point where we will treat the sneaker like that of one with rich history, but still commonplace? Think the Nike Air Huarache. Most sneakerheads like that sneaker. It is a sneaker with a legacy that doesn’t need to be explained, and yet, we can get it on sale at your local generic sneaker store. Who’s to say in the coming months or years down the line, we don’t see the Yeezy with the same fate?

Kanye wanted to make pairs more available for everyone. And the possibility of a GR Yeezy would make more than good on that promise. But what remains is would he and Adidas want the possibility of the Yeezy being so saturated and commonplace as a general release sneaker, or do they still want some exclusivity to the name and the sneaker?

I reckon we’ll have to wait and see a Yeezy on a Finish Line shelf to find out.