Where are Yeezys Made?

Yeezys are the brainchild of Kanye West who is a multi-platinum, award winning American rapper, songwriter and producer. Kanye, who many consider a global icon, recently ran for President but stumbled into the shoe making business in 2009 when he collaborated with fashion house Louis Vuitton (hence the nickname, Louis Vuitton Don!) to release a line of sneakers. These were a smashing hit and propelled ‘Ye’ into the shoe business that would eventually end up making him a billionaire.

Yeezys as we know them today (an adidas shoe!) began in 2013 when Kanye decided to leave Nike for rival sneaker brand, Adidas. Kanye did this because he received a much bigger royalty from Adidas compared to Nike, and the cut (15 percent on wholesale) has pushed him to becoming one of the richest American rappers with a net worth of 1.8 billion USD.

So where and how are Yeezys actually made?

Yeezys are made in China under the surveillance of Adidas – this is because the cheapest labor comes from China and thus Adidas already has a multitude of sneaker producing factories there. This can be seen in the tag of all the pairs of Yeezys where it says ‘MADE IN CHINA’ at the top – the tag is also a way of ‘legit checking’ your sneakers to make sure they are authentic. The way to tell that a Yeezy is fake is to check the tag against photos of authentic tags that are available online – usually, the font is different, and this is a big giveaway that the sneakers are not genuine. Additionally, there may be spelling mistakes or differences in the alignment of the text on the tag – this is also a sign that the Yeezys are fake. Usually, mistakes on the tag are subtle so you have to be careful and check them to the best of your ability. One example of a fake tag may be that the U of the USA sizing column may be a bit thicker than the rest of the font – this is because manufacturers of fake Yeezys do not know the font that is being used by Adidas and it is very hard to copy it successfully.

There are a couple of other ways you can legit check a pair of Yeezys before you buy or after you have bought them. One way is to check the logo and see if it is consistent throughout the sneaker, and consistent with the logo found on other authentic Yeezys. Another giveaway is white text on the insoles of the Yeezys – the font inside should be a dark gray instead of a white font on the insoles. The number one tip is to be careful when buying sneakers - if it seems too good a deal to be true, it is probably a fake sneaker. Always buy from reputable websites like Adidas and Farfetch; you can also buy sneakers from the new app by Adidas, CONFIRMED.

The 350 V2 version of the Yeezy (which was released in 2016) is made from three different yarns that come together to form the Primeknit upper that Yeezys are famous for. Moreover, the Primeknit upper is made by laser cutting machines that are able to create the upper within seconds – the three different yarns are fed into the laser cutting machine that acts as an extremely fast alternative to a traditional sowing machine. Compared to the original 350, the 350 V2 had a more ‘robust’ silhouette that came with a reinforced internal toe box. The sole of the 350 V2 has boost throughout it, which makes the Yeezys supremely comfortable.

So why is it important to wear original sneakers?

It’s important to wear original sneakers because it allows you to benefit the artist and designer (in this case, Kanye) that has put days of work into making the designs of the shoes. Fake sneakers are never the real deal – they may look extremely similar to the real ones but trust me, they do not have the same amount of quality and comfort as a real pair of Yeezys. Additionally, wearing an original pair of Yeezys can save you from the embarrassment of ever being called out for wearing fake Yeezys. If you don’t want to go through the hassle (fun for sneakerheads!) of legit checking a sneaker, you can send your sneakers to platforms like GOAT and then just recall them.

Overall, I believe the hype of Yeezys will never die out because of the constantly updated and innovative styles released by Kanye. When innovative and new designs are paired with supreme build quality and comfort, it is the perfect combination. If you are tentative about buying a pair of Yeezys, I would definitely recommend pulling the trigger on them but make sure to use a reputable business to buy them from!