Kanye West's New Adidas Sneakers and 'The Life of Pablo' Have a Lot in Common

Kanye's designed his Yeezy Boost 350 v2 sneakers the same way he made his latest album.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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When Kanye West put out The Life of Pablo, his seventh album, back in February 2016, it marked a new way of releasing music. It was finished yet unfinished, a project in flux that—thanks to streaming services—could be changed and updated almost daily. West, always the perfectionist, didn’t do quite that much tinkering, but he did make enough changes that the album as currently available on Tidal is quite different from the one he debuted at Madison Square Garden. And as the v2 version of his Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 releases this weekend, it appears that his creative process for sneakers has changed as well.

Subtle evolution as opposed to wholesale changes have been part of sneaker design for as long as there have been sneakers, of course. The Chuck Taylor All-Star has progressed slowly but surely, from its early 1900s roots to the Lunar-cushioned Chuck Taylor II. Or you can get you a line that can do both—like Jordan. Most progressions there were evolutionary leaps, like from 1 to II, or IV to V. But there have also been interludes of more deliberate evolution, as with III to IV or, most recently, XX9 to XXX. West’s own limited sneaker history was more the former than the latter—his Nike Yeezy 2 was far different from the 1, but retained some signature elements, such as the classic Nike midsole tooling and the midfoot strap.

Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Black/Peach

There were expectations that, when he left Nike for Adidas, that the next Yeezy would retain some elements of his Nikes. And the 750 did, with a familiar strap and high cut, only turned out in monochrome suede. The 350 was something different—a simple knit upper set on the same sole unit as the 750, with a small, stamped suede patch on the medial side. There was no need for big wordmarks or logos, the design spoke for itself.

The simple design of the 350 helped make it a hit, but simple, successful shoes make things difficult when it’s time for a sequel. There’s a reason the Chuck Taylor has undergone only minor changes over the past century, or why Nike continues to produce the original Flyknit Racer. Jordan was bold enough—rather, Tinker Hatfield was bold enough—to completely reinvent the Air Jordan almost every year, but that was Jordan. And it was also a different era of sneakers, when companies were valued in the millions, not billions. Design something successful now, it’s harder to just abandon it and move on.

Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Notre Shop

So rather than move on from the 350 or simply continue making it in different colors and patterns, West and Adidas chose the middle path. The v2 has a different cut from the original and uses a different pattern in the weave, but is otherwise nearly identical to its predecessor. It’s an upgrade rather than a reboot, soft wear software. If it wasn’t for the vibrant orange streak on the upper, one would be hard-pressed to point out the differences without a close inspection. Well, for perhaps anyone save West, whose perfectionism has transferred from music to fashion.

Previously, his perfectionism has caused issues in both fields, as the very idea of declaring a project finished seemed to cause no small amount of anguish. And rather than seeking a way to come to grips with the idea of completion, it seems that West has instead just done away with the concept entirely. While reworking Pablo, West called the album “a living breathing changing creative expression.” With the introduction of the Yeezy Boost 350 v2, it appears he views his signature sneakers the same way.