Kanye West Files Trademark Application for Yeezy Sock Shoes Despite Adidas Partnership Fallout
Kanye West plans on filing for a trademark application for the latest upgrade to his Yeezy foam runner shoes - an amalgam of running shoes and Crocs - even though Adidas backed out of the rapper's partnership after his anti-semitic comments last year, reports Daily Mail.
The Praise God rapper reportedly wants to proceed by adding a new upgrade to his Yeezy foam runners and converting them into "sock shoes" to reduce hassle and favor functionality. Official documents obtained by TMZ revealed the trademark papers were submitted on May 4 by West's Mascotte Holdings Inc.
The products mentioned were listed as "YZY SOCK SHOES," although they were categorized under "socks" and "socks leather soles." Adidas had, since the termination of the contract between the two of them, mentioned that they would be selling the remaining Yeezy stock of shoes and then donating them to charity.
Ye has filed a new trademark for "YZY SOCK SHOES" pic.twitter.com/WIlj97kOmb
— Modern Notoriety (@ModernNotoriety) May 10, 2023
Details of whether or not the E.T. rapper devised the shoe's design recently or over the last few years are still unclear. Before he could apply for the said trademark application, West was photographed with what speculations claim to be a prototype of the current product; the grey socks resembled a high-top material with leather soles.
Sources still pondered over the sale of this product if it gets a green signal, especially since West's fallout with the sports brand. Besides brand endorsements, it is a possibility for the shoes to sell on his Yeezy label website, although West is in quite a conundrum due to the lack of manufacturers for the product. The rapper's fame is on the decline due to his insensitive, anti-semitic, and racist comments, especially over the last couple of years after his split from beauty mogul ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
According to Billboard the rapper reportedly wore a shirt bedazzled with the words "White Lives Matter" on the back. West reportedly also featured models of color donning this shirt. The particular supremacist phrase goes way back and was adopted by neo-Nazis who responded to the Black Lives Matter movement that began in 2014 with a counter-movement.
West didn't stop even though he received major backlash and criticism from fans and his fellow colleagues in the entertainment industry and went on to amplify hate speeches which eventually had repercussions professionally. He lost his Billionaire status after a massive loss from his terminated deal with Adidas; West's net worth is now estimated to be $400 million, according to USA Today. Other infamous brands such as Balenciaga and Gap followed suit and cut ties with West over the heated controversy.
The 45-year-old is gearing up to campaign for the presidency in 2024 after his failed attempt in 2020, despite his treasurer, Patrick Krason, reportedly quitting the team recently. The ex-team member claimed that he came across details regarding illegal transactions and falsified invoices that took place during his campaigning. The transactions reportedly took place prior to assuming his role as a treasurer of the crew.