Yeezy 2019
Ye’s confidence is often unsettling, and always unwavering, but if we knew all that he has in store for fans of his brand ahead of time as he does, we’d be confident too. 2019 is already in full swing, and the Yeezys have been coming thick and fast, and if the rumours circulating the internet are anything to go on, Kanye West is far from done, and in fact, the best is yet to come. The opening months of the year have seen welcome additions to both his Yeezy 700 portfolio with the release of Inertia, Salt and Geode variations as well as a triple threat of Yeezy 350 models coming from the regional exclusive Clay, True Form and Hyperspace colourways. The reception for these seven have been majorly positive, with the Yeezy 700 Inertia gaining pretty unanimous acclaim for its colour palette and the Yeezy 700 Analog perhaps being highlighted as the one bum note among the septet for its off-white yellowish complexion, which failed to excite some fans with it reportedly reselling for below retail.
What Yeezys are coming out in 2019?
Kanye West has never been one to be deterred by the odd no-hitter among a career of out the park home runs however, and as is the way in footwear culture, the bad is forgotten, but the good is immortalised forever. As you know most releases are shrouded in secrecy and what circulates on the internet under the proviso of “rumours” can exhibit a considerable range from nailed on facts to vague concept art, to clear and obvious click bait. Presently we can only really look out onto what’s coming over the horizon and merely speculate on what we can see – somethings are much closer, and so we can make them out more clearly, others mere silhouettes in the distance, and maybe the odd mirage or two playing tricks on our eyes. The uncertainty and the anticipation are what breeds hype surrounding the Yeezy brand, and whether or not we know precisely what’s to be unveiled, everyone including myself is excited to find out. What we do know for sure is that more is coming, and thankfully some dates have surfaced concerning some of the rumoured Yeezys, and it turns out some of them, are only round the corner.
Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Glow in the Dark’
Previously teased in August 2018 by a now deleted Kanye West Tweet which not so teasingly read “can’t wait for these glow in the dark 350s”, this new edition to the Yeezy Boost 350 family has been gifted an unofficial release date. Although not confirmed by either Adidas or Ye himself the pair touted it on most sites across the internet for May 25th. From the images that have surfaced of the pair, the new design appears to use the Yeezy Boost v2 silhouette as a base with the now favoured translucent strip which debuted in on the Yeezy 350 Static late last year. The official name of the shoe is unknown, but the working title tells the story of the colourway of the shoe. A fluorescent slime green coloured Primeknit upper the centrepiece of this release, featuring glow in the dark tech not dissimilar to that used on 2016s Yeezy 750 Grey/Gum which came with a gum outsole that glowed in the dark when exposed to light for an extended period of time.
Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Black’
Also recently sending the Yeezy fan base wild with news of its imminent release is the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 ‘Black’. Seldom does Ye use black as a base for his trainers colour palettes but when he does, they fly off the shelves. The almost unrivalled success of both the 2015 & 2016 iterations of the Yeezy 350 Pirate Black and the Hall of Fame certified Yeezy 350 Bred give us a pretty strong indication on exactly how coveted the new ‘Black’ is going to be. Kanye West has once again lent on his most recent evolution of the Yeezy 350 as its framework, scrapping the classic ‘SPLY-350’ lettering for the semi-translucent stripe in its place. The only deviation from this models blackout image comes from a hint of red stitching on its familiar heel tab. Rumoured for release on June 23rd but with an official line from Adidas only ominously confirming that it is coming “Soon”, the hype couldn’t be higher for this one.
Yeezy Boost 700 v2 Vanta
It turns out the Yeezy 350 isn’t the only silhouette Kanye West has been planning on dressing in all black, as at a surprise performance in Miami at the release party for XXXTentacion‘s posthumous album Skins way back in December 2018, Kanye West gave fans their best glimpse of his new triple black Yeezy 700 v2s. Since then more concept images have surfaced of the design with a working title of ‘Vanta’ attributed to the shoe. Although no date has even been so much as rumoured online, the Yeezy 700 ‘Vanta’ looks like it’s definitely in the pipeline. The stealthy take on the Yeezy 700 silhouette using a pitch black base that’s accented by murky anthracite suede overlays and ever-so-slight hits of reflective silver on both the midsole and heel, and a panelling system which appears to match that of the Yeezy 700 v2’s skeleton which has been used on the Static and Geode iterations of the shoe.
Yeezy Basketball
Ye has made a habit of teasing what he has in store for us, and more than ever we take a keen interest in what’s on his feet precisely as we do with friend and creative peer Virgil Abloh. So when a pair of what is rumoured to be Yeezy Basketball shoes were captured on Kanye West’s feet via the power of Instagram my jaw dropped. This wild high top looks quite literally like nothing I have seen before, with a woven upper combined with an adaptation on a traditional Yeezy Boost midsole all accentuated with a 3M reflective block on the heel. This shoe looks very much in early development stages but seeing it on Ye’s feet definitely provide it with some considerable credibility. With the court shoe business more competitive than ever with the likes of Jerry Lorenzo entering the fray as well as the high profile removal of the court dress code, I’m sure it won’t be long until you see a LeBron James or a Paul George dunking in a pair of Yeezys.
Other Yeezy rumours
Of course, there are a lot more rumours circulating the web which hold a lot less validity, anything from a completely fabricated design to a blurry photo of a sketch is considered newsworthy in the trainer world when the word Yeezy is attached. That’s the key to success for Yeezy year in year out, the ability to keep its fan base on the edge of its seat is paramount to creating the type of buzz that is essential in the upper echelons of the fashion industry. Whether it be a heavily publicised future launch, a much-anticipated concept or a whisper in the deepest darkest part of the internet, people like me will continue to speculate, write about and make videos, and that in itself drives the hype machine that makes these releases so unique and so incredibly sought after. There are as many Yeezy rumours as there are websites willing to cover them, and with an apparent sketch of the upcoming Yeezy 2019 product line being leaked all over the internet, it looks like there is going to be a lot more to talk about. So for the latest news and all the most recent releases make sure you keep it Laced.