Kanye West: King of the Sunken Place, "Watch the Throne"

homie going back to the 70’s-90’s when TV backs had BBL’s to show why Adidas doesnt need Kanye in the 2010’s-2020’s is amazing
As if AF1s, Air Max, Jordans, Dunks, etc... were made in the last ten years. The cool stuff from Nike is from that same era. Just take a look at any WDYWT thread on NT.

kingsrborn kingsrborn that's a US-centric opinion. Until the last 10 years or so, the sneaker market here was heavily tilted towards basketball sneakers and yes, Adidas was on the decline here because they were pretty much pushed out of that segment, especially after losing Kobe.
That's not the same story in overseas markets, where sneaker culture is not so focused on basketball. There, Adidas never lost its cultural relevance because they collect terrace sneakers and runners.
 
Flame suit on, but the only heat Adidas ever had was from the 1980's. Adidas have, and will always survive, because overall, they can sell enough shoes and clothes worldwide,due to Soccer and athletics. But when it comes to what appeals on a high scale when it comes pop culture and the masses, NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY was worried about what Adidas was doing or releasing before Kanye went over there. Kanye is the single reason why the majority of everybody that I know has a closet full of Yeezy's, just as many pairs as they have Jordans.

I know people are going to show us how big of a company Adidas was before Kanye showed up. But my pointis, is that Kanye brought alot hype, sells, and anticipation from the younger generation, that helped Adidas to compete with Nike on a larger scale in this modern era of the shoe culture. Without Kanye bringing that type of hype and element to Adidas, nobody was going to be worried about hitting for shoes on their apps for new shoes on their release date like how we are whenever it's a yeezy release day, or restock day.

The majority of the pictures of these Adidas up in here are straight trash, and i wouldn't be caught dead in them. Let's keep it a 100, without kanye, nobody would be worried about what Adidas has planned, or what they're releasing. Kanye wasn't happy with how Adidas or Gap was doing business with him, so this is actually a win for him, by not making him fullfill the remainder of his contract that he left.

He kept telling us how both companies weren't doing what they said that they agreed upon for him in his contract.

NMD’s and Ultraboosts?

No offense but to me most of the Kanye shoes and stuff are ugly. But hypesbeats and stan’s went crazy for them. Down to the Gap trash bag releases.

It’s not a win for him, that a a ridiculous narrative. This isn’t him leaving Nike for Adidas. This is him being dropped and no one wants him. Huge difference.
 
As if AF1s, Air Max, Jordans, Dunks, etc... were made in the last ten years. The cool stuff from Nike is from that same era. Just take a look at any WDYWT thread on NT.

kingsrborn kingsrborn that's a US-centric opinion. Until the last 10 years or so, the sneaker market here was heavily tilted towards basketball sneakers and yes, Adidas was on the decline here because they were pretty much pushed out of that segment, especially after losing Kobe.
That's not the same story in overseas markets, where sneaker culture is not so focused on basketball. There, Adidas never lost its cultural relevance because they collect terrace sneakers and runners.
Adidas was always very popular over here, and continues to be, just not quite as popular as Nike. Basketball sneakers aren’t really a thing here, and you’d actually get clowned relentlessly for wearing ‘athletic’ sneakers outside of a sports event.
 
Adidas was always very popular over here, and continues to be, just not quite as popular as Nike. Basketball sneakers aren’t really a thing here, and you’d actually get clowned relentlessly for wearing ‘athletic’ sneakers outside of a sports event.
Fascinating. I assume they look at it as we would look at someone walking around in soccer or football cleats on the street.
 
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Fascinating. I assume they look at it as we would look at someone walking around in soccer or football cleats on the street.
There's a lot more variety nowadays but I remember throughout highschool that even something like Nike Air Maxes were generally described as tacky and often mocked for being too athletic looking.
 
Anwan Glover who played Slim Charles on the Wire and member of BackYard Band talks about DC sneaker culture...



They discuss about how NB are staples in the area and have been for a while. He talks about seeing dudes wearing NBs in the area as a kid.

Dude is 51 now.
 
Adidas was always very popular over here, and continues to be, just not quite as popular as Nike. Basketball sneakers aren’t really a thing here, and you’d actually get clowned relentlessly for wearing ‘athletic’ sneakers outside of a sports event.
I think it's a matter of demographics.

Having followed French rap during my teens, I can remember people from the suburbs (the equivalent of the American inner city) being into sneakers, and you could see it in what the rappers, comedians, and actors from these neighborhoods were wearing. On their streets, those sneakers conveyed the same status that an American would get by wearing the latest Jordans or Foamposites. The best example I can give is the Nike TN Plus.

The clowning you speak of had to do with mainstream society not looking at those guys as fashionable, but the culture was definitely there, in their hoods.
 
Nike is doing color of the month campaign for AF1s right now. Big up Charley Rudo and nem. I'm only familiar with Bmore dudes but I'll be damned if they wasn't into NB tennis shoes :lol:
 
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