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Adidas places Yeezy partnership under review

By Rachel Douglass

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Business

Image: Adidas Group

Adidas has announced it has placed its partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy “under review” following increasing tension between the sportswear giant and the rapper-turned-entrepreneur.

The brand’s announcement comes after a public tussle with West, professionally known as Ye, who took to social media to air his frustration with his brand partner.

In an Instagram post, Ye said that Adidas had not consulted him on the release of old sneaker models.

He later posted pictures of members of the brand’s board after citing he needed “to be head of the board and chief decision maker” of a future shoe company.

While Ye’s contract with Adidas was initially supposed to run until 2026, after the duo signed a 10-year deal in 2016, the German corporation now seems to be changing its mind.

In a statement to Reuters, the company said: “The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history. We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it.

“We also recognise that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review.

“We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”

The move closely follows an announcement by Gap, another former brand partner of Yeezy, which made the decision to end the partnership eight years early.

Like Adidas, Ye also publicly protested the relationship with the American brand, claiming there was a breach of contract and that it failed to meet his brand’s requirements.

Adidas
Kanye West
Yeezy