Kanye’s done it again.
The release of his most recent track “Facts” (produced by Metro Boomin) on New Year’s Eve whipped the sneaker community into a frenzy, the level of which is usually only seen when he releases a shoe.
He big ups Adidas while dissing Nike. He screams and spazzes out. It’s an extremely enjoyable song. (I personally liked it so much I threw a pair of Nikes off my balcony after listening to it). If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favor and listen here.
A lot of people are up in arms over the track for various reasons. Some can’t stand his brash statements. Some think he’s just salty at Nike. Some people plain don’t like him. The core of most arguments seems to be that the Yeezy has not jumped over the Jumpman is because Adidas (even though they’re having a great year) is nowhere close to Nike/Jordan when it comes to sales. However, I don’t think that’s the argument he’s trying to make. He’s not talking about sales. He’s talking about cultural relevance.
Even if you’re not a fan of his Adidas sneakers, you can’t deny that they were the hottest shoe of 2015, and with the hype train not slowing down anytime soon, it doesn’t look like 2o16 will be any different. Kanye isn’t saying that Addidas (and his shoes) are over Nike in terms of sales, he’s saying that Adidas has got a more firm grip on street culture.
And with how most Jordans were selling last year (and this year too…you can find “Alternate 89” IV’s just about anywhere you look), he might have a good point. Adidas has made themselves cool again, with their cutting-edge tech like Boost and Primeknit, their classic models like the Superstar and Stan Smith have enjoyed resurgences, and they’ve allied themselves with the right influencers, from Pusha T to the A$AP Mob, to Rita Ora, to Palace Skateboards (the hottest brand of 2015) to Ye himself.
They’ve made all the right moves on that end of the market, and Kanye’s bragging about that. He’s allied himself with what he feels to be the most culurally relevant sneaker brand right now who will let him create as he sees fit, and he feels good about that. You can’t really blame him…wouldn’t you be feeling yourself too if you were in that position?
What do you think? Is Kanye making a valid argument? Is he blowing hot air? Did you enjoy the song or think it was garbage? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
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