Even before he started designing clothing and shoes under Yeezy, Kanye West expressed an explicit desire to dress the whole world.
When he first launched his own brand, though, Yeezys were as difficult to secure as any other super-hyped shoe. The latest annual report from resale platform StockX details the massive jump Yeezy made in While the top brands mostly remained static, Adidas and Yeezy stick out. Yeezy now sits in between two major, mass brands: New Balance is one spot ahead, and Vans is right below.
According to Cleveland. In , Business Insider hailed Kanye West as "a marketing genius," citing his flourishing Yeezy sneaker empire as proof. Lyst communications director Katy Lubin heaped on praise of her own, proclaiming, "Kanye is a master of social media hype.
He's used his personality, plus smart scarcity and exclusivity models to build a cult brand. Per Psychology Today , people see an item as more attractive when you tell them they can't have it. As Lubin alluded to, the perceived scarcity of that thing causes people to reorder their priorities and maybe order that overpriced item they suddenly want.
That's why warning labels on violent movies make kids want to watch them more instead of less. But the limited-edition gimmick is even more likely to incite irrational transactions. Mad blasted Yeezys as "an easy, convenient way to show the world that you're a superficial, low-functioning [d-bag] with way too much money. Once again proving the potency of scarcity, it seems that with only 3, to 5, pairs of Air Yeezy 2s available to the public, instead of attempting to pay top dollar at a store that might sell out, some especially desperate buyers paid over the top dollar to a reseller.
While these represent those most exorbitant examples from the Yeezy resale market, they're far from the only ones. That's utterly mad. It seems like a safe bet that almost nobody would spend a months' rent to net a pair of sneakers made by a nobody named Kahn Yam East.
Adidas has also boosted demand by releasing the shoes in unique colorways. In June , a new version of the Yeezy Boost debuted in gray with a glow-in-the-dark gum outsole. Those sneakers are throwbacks to a style of Adidas shoes from the s. The same year they came out, the Yeezy Boost running shoe premiered during the Yeezy Season 5 fashion show. With this shoe, Adidas once again turned to product scarcity to garner buzz, initially only making it available at the Yeezy Supply online store.
His words may not have seemed sincere then since the shoes continued selling out in minutes for years afterward. Making the item so out of reach to the masses instills more brand resentment than brand loyalty, and with this re-release, Adidas has made it clear that it has a wider audience in mind. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding.
Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all.
Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Why Yeezys, a brand based on exclusivity, are suddenly so easy to buy. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: Why Yeezys, a brand based on exclusivity, are suddenly so easy to buy.
0コメント