In response to Kanye West’s recent Instagram post accusing Adidas of continuing to profit from his Yeezy designs despite their severed partnership, the global sportswear giant has taken swift action. As of Wednesday night, Adidas removed all references to Yeezy products from its website, signaling its compliance with West’s demands.
On Tuesday, West aired his grievances on Instagram, accusing Adidas of allowing Yeezy-related content to appear more prominently in online search results than Yeezy’s own site. He stated, “Stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back. Our partnership is done.” By the following day, Adidas had removed Yeezy-related product pages, news articles, and images from its digital platforms.
This move aligns with Adidas’ plan to completely cut ties with the Yeezy brand by the end of 2024. During a press conference in October 2024, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden expressed that the brand was eager to move forward, declaring, “There aren’t any more open issues. And there is no money going either way. There were tensions on many issues [but] both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore… [It] belongs in the past.”
Adidas’ relationship with Kanye West began to unravel in 2022 following his controversial anti-Semitic remarks, leading to the dissolution of their partnership. Despite this, Gulden later suggested in a 2023 podcast appearance that West’s comments may not have reflected his true intentions: “I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person. It just came off that way… I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world.”
With the removal of Yeezy content from its website, Adidas is making a clear statement about its intention to move past the contentious relationship with Kanye West and the Yeezy brand, signaling the end of an era in their partnership.
