Last Thursday in New York City, Adidas let down its front during its fashion show to let everyone know that Yeezy Season was approaching once again.
With this in mind, it only made sense that the main attraction of the show was Kanye West.
He revealed his highly anticipated sneaker collaboration with Adidas by having numerous models line up in a cult-esque fashion while wearing the sneakers, called the Yeezy 750 Boosts.
These shoes are suede, have a dynamic strap and have received positive reviews early into their release.
The sneakers are the successors to West’s previous collaborations with Nike, which include the Air Yeezy series and Red Octobers.
Both of these shoes have been highly regarded and coveted since their release. Currently, the Air Yeezys and Red Octobers are collectables that can sell for thousands of dollars.
However, due to creative differences with Nike, West took his fashion sensibilities elsewhere, and in December 2013 he announced that he had signed a deal with Adidas.
Hype for the sneakers built up to their release in New York, where West personally delivered the Yeezy 750 Boosts to the die-hard fans who bought them. There were fans crying with joy upon receiving the shoes, and some had camped outside the store before the release.
I, too, am a die-hard West fan, but it is nonsensical that people would go to such great lengths for a pair of shoes.
Whether it is Jordans or Yeezys, I cannot imagine camping outside a store for days and paying hundreds of dollars for just a pair of sneakers. Yet this happens on a consistent basis with name-brand sneakers.
Some of the most famous instances include the Jordan Retro release. Releases like this are known to have violent consequences. People have been assaulted — even murdered — for the sake of collectable sneakers all around the country.
Not everyone at the release is there to get new shoes to wear, either. Some people purchase the sneakers to resell them to those desperate enough to buy them for thousands of dollars on eBay and various other websites.
I cannot imagine paying thousands of dollars for sneakers perhaps because I am an economically challenged college student.
I wonder if the people who purchase shoes for thousands of dollars realize that Foot Locker exists, and you can get shoes for much cheaper at any retail outlet. I also wonder if people who collect sneakers realize they only have one pair of feet. How many shoes can one possibly need?
I honestly think the Yeezy 750 Boosts are just as good-looking as West’s previous sneakers, but I also fear the release will have the same consequences as their predecessors.
In a couple years, these shoes will be sold for thousands of dollars. People will be robbed, assaulted and potentially worse for the sake of these shoes.
I definitely understand the aesthetic value of nice sneakers. I wore Air Yeezys to my senior prom and my graduation. They are definitely good-looking sneakers. But I didn’t pay thousands of dollars or camp outside of a store for them.
I hope nobody will harm another person over the Yeezy 750 Boosts on their global release date, and I encourage those who decide to camp out for them to be as safe as possible.
Emanuel Griffin is a UF journalism freshman. His column appears on Tuesdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 2/17/2015 under the headline “NY Fashion Week: Walk in my Yeezys"]
