Is Kanye The Secret To Retail Reinvention?

Kanye West has decided that being a rapper, fashion icon, Kardashian paramour and genius is not enough. His dreams are bigger. And apparently of being a retail force within himself.

With an assist from Adidas, a firm that is doubling down on the Yeezy.

The German sportswear giant has announced that in partnership with West they are expanding their very successful Yeezy brand via a new partnership called adidas + Kanye West.  Yeezy-branded items will consist of footwear, apparel and accessories for all.

The new effort will originate from Adidas headquarters in Portland and will tie in individual retail locations as “district hubs” for bringing the glory of Kanye to the masses. It is the firm’s biggest partnership ever with someone who is not actually known for athletic prowess.

“Kanye is a true creator who has the ability to see things others don’t. We are excited and honored to build on this partnership, and eagerly look forward to defining the future together,” said Eric Liedtke, Adidas Group executive board member, responsible for global brands.

Kanye, apart from being a creator with a vision that others lack, is also a massive sales draw, especially when it comes to high-end footwear. West darn near “broke” eBay in January with the overwhelming popularity of his branded shoes, and he certainly managed to break the bank for some shoe enthusiasts.

The most expensive pair of Yeezys  found on the site — Yeezy Boost 750 in gray — went for $20,000. A pair of black 750s, black 350s and tan 350s, had sellers on eBay looking to fetch $10,000 per pair.