Adidas cut ties with Kanye West, but the company still intends to sell his Yeezy products under a new name.
According to multiple reports, Adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer revealed plans to rebrand Yeezy designs on Wednesday (November 9). The rebranded Yeezy products could be released as soon as next year.
“Going forward, we will leverage the existing inventory with the exact plans being developed as we speak,” Ohlmeyer said on an earnings call.
Last month, Adidas ended its partnership with Kanye West due to his antisemitism. The company was one of several brands that dropped ‘Ye over his offensive remarks.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” Adidas announced. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The company continued, “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”
Adidas also declared it was “the sole owner of all design rights to existing products as well as previous and new colorways under the partnership.” But the Yeezy rebrand didn’t sit well with many of Kanye West’s fans.
Check out some of the reactions to Adidas’ plan below.
Adidas selling Yeezy without @kanyewest is CRAZYYYYYYY. How they profiting off his ideas ?!?! We don’t want Adidas YEEZY’s we want KANYE YEEZY’s! Profiting off a black man like that is just modern Day Slavery with extra Steps.
— Ashanty❄️ (@QueenAshanty) November 9, 2022
ADIDAS THINKS WE GOING TO BUY FAKE YEEZYS FROM THEM LOL pic.twitter.com/VjR3bHxOql
— YEEZY GOD (@gunnertierno) November 9, 2022
Adidas will get a huge wake up call soon, some of us bought Yeezys because of Ye… not because of Adidas https://t.co/X81LhbYSQg
— DomIsLive NEWS (@domislivenews) November 9, 2022
Now @adidas look here ! You can’t expect us to buy a creative design by Kanye which was obviously stripped of from him by your Coy ! I’m black and yes Ye could be a silly ass but we don’t let our own down no matter what!
— Tjazz™️ (@teejazz8) November 9, 2022
This @adidas Yeezy news is so gross. "We don't approve of @kanyewest, but we'll gladly profit off of him." Cut ties or don't, but this performative conscience is nasty.
— ii of Providence (@fliionthewall) November 9, 2022
Although Kanye offended the black community we need to boycott @adidas selling his stuff without him
— 🅿️ooh💤illa🇭🇹 (@PolaroidPat) November 9, 2022
aint nobody tryna buy yeezys without kanye backing them.
— LR (@LimitedRunMia) November 9, 2022
From here on out the fake #Yeezy sold by Adidas will be called Sleezys.
No one will want them. Value for original Yeezys will skyrocket. #Kanye #KanyeWest #Adidas #Kyrie https://t.co/NB7UfejVae
— Banana Republic Justice Swan 🍌 (@TheWuhanClan) November 9, 2022
