Adidas Is Unloading More Yeezys

Sales will again benefit various organizations fighting racism and antisemitism
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 31, 2023 11:29 AM CDT
Adidas Is Unloading More Yeezys
Yeezy shoes made by Adidas are displayed in Paramus, NJ, on Oct. 25, 2022. Adidas is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, as the shoemaker seeks to unload the unsold shoes while donating to groups fighting antisemitism.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Adidas is still sitting on a pile of Yeezys, and it's looking to clear them out in the wake of the potentially financially disastrous breakup in October with Kanye West, now Ye, over his antisemitic statements. As CNN reports, the second wave of post-Ye stock is set to go on sale online Wednesday, with a "significant amount" of the proceeds going "to selected organizations working to combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism." This drop is different from the first in May, notes Quartz: Yeezys will be available on various retailers' websites, as opposed to just Adidas' website. Purchasers' money is heading to the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change (run by the brother of George Floyd), and Robert Kraft's Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, among others. Donations from the May round totaled $9.3 million.

Of course, it's not all altruistic: Adidas was staring at $1.3 billion in Yeezy merch when it cut ties with Ye, and looking at a pretty hefty loss if it couldn't find a way to offload them. Per Quartz: "Selling the shoes as if nothing had happened would be considered hypocritical, removing the logo from the shoes would be deceitful, and destroying them wasteful." The May sale cut its potential inventory losses by 20%. Per the AP, the Anti-Defamation League calls the sales "a thoughtful and caring resolution" and says that "any attempt to turn the consequences of [Ye's] actions into something that ultimately benefits society and the people he has hurt is most welcome." (More Yeezy stories.)

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