Adidas to sell remaining Yeezy items — will donate some of the proceeds

Months after it cut ties with controversial rapper and designer Ye (Kayne West), Adidas has finally gone public with plans for its existing Yeezy inventory. 

The German athletic footwear and apparel giant said it will start selling some of the remaining inventory of Yeezy products later this month, with an initial release at the end of May. The items will be available only through the Adidas e-commerce site and app.  

The company said it will donate a “significant amount” of revenues to select organizations working to combat discrimination and hate, including (but not limited to) the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.  The ADL has urged Adidas to end ties with Ye following his remarks.

Adidas ended its highly successful partnership with Ye in October after he made a series of antisemitic comments. (Prior to October, Yeezy sales for Adidas were estimated to be around $2 billion annually.)

In a release, Adidas said that, since ending the partnership, it has been exploring multiple scenarios regarding the use of the existing Yeezy inventory, including seeking feedback from and listening to a diverse group of employees, organizations, communities and consumers for how to “responsibly manage” the existing Yeezy product.   The company explained that it went ahead with committed production orders after the partnership was terminated in order to “help protect its supply chain partners from being negatively affected by cancellations.”

“Selling and donating was the preferred option among all organizations and stakeholders we spoke to,” stated Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden  “We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities.” 

The ADL applauded the company’s move.

“At a time when antisemitism has reached historic levels in the U.S. and is rising globally, we appreciate how adidas turned a negative situation into a very positive outcome,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “They have shown real thoughtfulness in engaging with community organizations working to combat this pernicious and stubborn hatred. We thank them for their ongoing dialogue around their remaining inventory and their vested interest in tackling issues of prejudice and hate.” 

Adidas said additional releases of the existing inventory are under consideration but the timing has not yet been determined.