The Best YEEZY Sneakers of 2021
It would be hard to find a corner of planet earth to hide from YEEZY sneaker drops. With a man at the helm who compares himself to Jesus and in-your-face, oversized designs that garner admiration, envy, and confusion in equal measures, the Kanye West-designed adidas YEEZY shoes have changed the modern sneaker world. Whether it is pre-empting the chunky dad shoes with the 700s, creating high fashion crossovers with the 750, or simply a multi-million dollar resale and counterfeit market with the 350, YEEZY sneakers are impossible to ignore.
adidas' recent renaissance can be, in part, attributed to West and YEEZY sneakers. Over the past years, the YEEZY brand showed as much sign of slowing up as its workaholic designer, with a raft of new release models, coming in white, black, grey, red, blue and green, as well as insane new YEEZY sneaker creations such as the YEEZY Scuba – every new drop causing shock waves through the internet.
To help you navigate what's out there, we compiled this list.
Read on for our guide to the best YEEZY sneakers of 2021.
adidas YEEZY Foam RNNR "Mineral Blue"
Hot take, the Foam Runner is YEEZY's best shoe to date. At first glance, the ergonomically designed shoe is reminiscent of the emerging world of algorithmic modeling, a data-based design technique used in places like automotive engineering. This makes sense, as Mr. West himself has gone on record to equate designing YEEZYs to designing a car. Made from algae and a lightweight EVA, the slip-on is constructed as one piece in a process that is said to take only 25 minutes. The shoe is flexible and surprisingly comfortable, incorporating oval holes throughout its body to enhance breathability.
Though we love the sand tones on the other Foam Runner colorways, the mineral blue works perfectly for those of you who want to buy into the YEEZY-clog hype but also want something a little more understated. All in all, this space-aged clog embodies the brand's forward-thinking ethos. We expect (hope) Kanye is going to push more of his designs in this direction.
adidas YEEZY Boost 380 "Alien Blue"
The adidas YEEZY Boost 380 is the Pokemon-like evolution of the pervasive YEEZY Boost 350 V2, and that is not a bad thing. The "Alien Blue" has much of the same design language as the V2s, including a knitted upper and transparent stripe. Across its upper, the sneaker's own personality begins to shine through with an icy textured digitized camo pattern that looks like a topographical map. All of this comfortably sits on top of a glacial blue midsole and semi-translucent outsole that sweeps up towards the heel. Pair this all with the streamlined shoe design, and you have a shoe fit for a Ridley Scott film.
adidas YEEZY 500 "Enflame"
These are so military futuristic that you wouldn’t be surprised seeing the “Enflame” YEEZY 500 on the feet of a Jedi on Tatooine. This iteration of the 500 stays true to the earthy tones found in previous silhouettes but adds a nice flare of bold orange to the shoe. It is dressed in a desert brown military boot-inspired upper along with a navy suede overlay. Elements of the adidas' 1990 "Feet You Wear" outsole help frame the entire sneaker. The "Enflame" is perfect for the latter part of the Summer and will help you seamlessly step into the Fall.
adidas YEEZY Slide "Pure"
Though we wish they came in more colorways, the YEEZY slides’ simplicity warrants appreciation. They offer wearers a utilitarian, every man design that can operate as transitional footwear or as a centerpiece for a complete outfit. You can even throw on socks with these, and no one will judge you (no promises there, though). The slides are made from injected EVA foam and come with a soft footbed for maximum comfort.
You either will love or hate the YEEZY Slide’s muted tones. Regardless, you are going to see a lot of these slides poolside or on the beach this Summer.
adidas YEEZY Boost 700 "Bright Blue"
The YEEZY Boost 700 is a departure from the more science-fiction-based designs that Kanye's brand has been celebrated for over the years. Yet, the shoe has gained a cult following among sneakerheads for its callbacks to '90s running kicks. This particular 700 has a color palette that feels industrial with its eye-catching pairing of bright orange and light blue. The mix of materials, such as leather and suede on top of its chunky body, help to further drive home its retro aesthetic. If this sneaker were an unreleased Kanye album, it would be Turbo Grafx 16.
adidas YEEZY Boost 350 V2 "Ash Pearl"
The YEEZY 350s are one of the brand's most important flagships. The shoe has been released in a seemingly infinite amount of colorways, with almost all of them selling out. Aside from its "hovercraft design," the sneaker is renowned for its comfort, thanks to its boost cushioning and its snug Primeknit upper. The "Ash Pearl" is primed and ready for the season if you are looking to bring neutral colors with you from Spring into Summer.
adidas YEEZY 700 V3 "Kyanite"
These sneakers look like something that could be worn in Michael Anderson's obscure classic, Logan's Run. Another futuristic sneaker by Mr. West, the 700 V3 comes equipped with a blue and aqua-green prime knit upper that sits in what can only be described as a ribcage. All this is comfortably placed on top of an exaggerated egg-white midsole and a contrasting gum outsole. Kanye has mentioned that "there is a little bit of Lamborghini in everything I do." Call us crazy, but we are getting Lamborghini Miura vibes from this shoe.
adidas YEEZY QNTM "Flash Orange"
Born out of Ye's desire to create a performance basketball shoe that rivaled his idols Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, YEEZY gave us the QNTM. On this colorway, adidas brings a nice splash of color with its earthy orange pattern, creating a whirlwind effect across the upper. These work well if you are looking to play a pick-up game with a few aliens later this summer.
adidas YEEZY Boost 700 V2 "Cream"
Here's another key colorway for your Summer outfits. These sneakers blend creamy shades of gray and cloud white atop a chalky Boost midsole and charcoal outsole. This is an excellent alternative to the radiating 700s above.
adidas YEEZY 450 "Cloud White"
The YEEZY 450s are some of the brand's most polarizing sneakers to date, thanks to its biologically inspired exoskeleton midsole. This is what makes the shoe so interesting. The midsole looks like a plant growing out from under your foot as it wraps around the 450's sock upper. Even cooler than that, is the fact that the entire structure adopts and supports your feet as you wear them.
Looking at the bottom of the sneaker, you will find a wavy pattern that blends with the midsole, further underlining the biology theme of the shoe. If anything, this works well within the brand's growing future-focused line-up.
How much are YEEZY sneakers?
The easiest answer is: not cheap. Compared to inline Nike and adidas models, YEEZY sneakers are positioned as premium sneakers, with prices to match. Because of the high demand, resale prices are often even higher. This doesn't stop every YEEZY sneaker drop from being a rush to hit the "buy" button.
Where to buy YEEZY sneakers?
Your first port of call is adidas’ official site (adidas.com) or YEEZY SUPPLY (yeezysupply.com), followed by select retailers around the globe. If you're unable to buy YEEZY sneakers at retail, your best bet is resell websites such as StockX, GOAT, eBay and Grailed. A current global stock list for Kanye West x adidas sneakers can be found at adidas.com/yeezy.
Do YEEZY sneakers run small?
It depends on which model, but the consensus is that most YEEZY sneakers run a little small – worth remembering before you shell out a few hundred on a pair of sneakers.
Where are YEEZY sneakers made?
Most YEEZY sneakers are made in China. However, in a recent Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe, Kanye West said the brand will soon start manufacturing in the US. Speaking to Lowe, Kanye West revealed plans to bring production to the States by 2021.
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