“To Kasper, I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more”, Kanye West declared in an Instagram post pointing directly at Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted. He then adds: “These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent. This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by Adidas themselves”. The American rapper and designer has expressed his rage and frustration on his social media by advocating for “everyone who wants to express themselves but feel they can’t cause they’ll lose their contract or be called crazy”. The brand’s new pair of three-stripes flip-flops, described as a tribute to the Mars expeditions, does indeed look like a pair of Yeezy’s, but isn't it the harsh law of the footwear industry to constantly draw its inspiration from other brands?
So far, Adidas has not reacted, and the “Adilette 22 Slides” is a great success. And if we take a closer look at the shoes, Kanye West's good faith can be questioned – while the two pairs share an identical shape and a rather similar color, the "Adilette 22 Slides" appears to be much more elaborate with elegant 3D graphics. In fact, if the inspiration is obvious, it is far from being a mere “copy and paste”. Will this keep the rapper quiet, he, who has deleted his tweet since then? To be continued...
