The Evolution of the Yeezy Boost 350

 

After a successful six-year stint with Nike, Kanye West left the sportswear giant to join rivals adidas in 2013.

The Yeezy Boost 750 was the first silhouette to release from the partnership between Ye and the Three Stripe brand – sending shockwaves throughout the footwear industry.

Just two years later, the first Yeezy Boost 350 released on June 27, 2015 – following months of rumours and speculation – donning the iconic 'Turtle Dove' colourway.

The Yeezy 350 model sparked widespread furore among the sneakerhead community, fast becoming the shoe of the decade.

Equipped with adidas’ signature Primeknit material on the upper, and the famed comfortable Boost technology underfoot, the Yeezy Boost 350 was heavily-celebrated for its unrivalled comfort, and was the catalyst for the Boost hype that ensued in the years that followed – not to mention the limited quantities meant the shoe sold out almost instantly on every drop.

Three more colourways released before the year was out, including: Oxford Tan and Moonrock – and most popular of them all – Pirate Black.

It was another nine months before adidas released the next Yeezy 350 model – only this time, it was the V2 iteration.

The beloved silhouette was first released donning a grey/orange colour palette. Dubbed the ‘Beluga’, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 retained the Primeknit upper and Boost midsole, underfoot, seen on its predecessor, however, the German sportswear brand embellished the new model with a bold sidewall stripe in orange, bearing the words ‘SPLY-350’. What’s more, the updated Yeezy model featured a more streamlined aesthetic – adidas even went a step further and removed the heel strap from the first V2 models – much to the dismay of loyal fans.

adidas’ already successful partnership with Ye continued to dominate the tail-end of 2016, as well 2017, too, with the Oreo, BRED, Zebra, and Triple White iterations all causing a stir among Yeezy-lovers – with the aforementioned heel strap making a return at the start of 2017.

Four more colourways were released in 2018, before Kanye made good on his promise to make sure everyone got a Yeezy. This marked the biggest release in the shoe’s history, as adidas released 1 million pairs of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 ‘Cream White’.

The release was swiftly followed by the ‘Sesame’ and ‘Static’ to round out the year, with more variations releasing in 2019 and 2020, as well as four so far in 2021.

adidas’ Yeezy Boost 350 is unarguably one of the most-exciting shoes to grace the footwear market in the last decade, as the shoe celebrates its sixth anniversary this year, we’re excited to see what the adidas x Yeezy partnership will unveil next.