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You may notice on the street, many people are wearing a particular type of shoe with a sneaker-like design. The colors may also be very bright, with orange or green color. These shoes are called Yeezys and are incredibly popular. However, where are Yeezys made? And are they expensive?
Yeezys are currently manufactured in China in Adidas’s manufacturing facility. This is because manufacturing in China costs less, and Adidas can leverage the ease of its supply chains. Yeezys are also one of the most counterfeited sneakers in the world and may be very expensive to own.
In this article, we explore where Yeezys are made and some common questions about the shoe line, such as why they are so expensive and how you can spot fake Yeezys from the original ones.
What Are Yeezys?
Yeezys refers to a line of sneaker shoes from Adidas. The shoes are made in collaboration with American designer, rapper, and entrepreneur Kanye West. Yeezys are known for its high-end, limited edition colorways and general releases such as the Yeezy Boost collections. The first Yeezys debuted in February 2015.
Yeezys may traditionally refer to the line of sneakers from Adidas and Kanye West. Still, they may also contain other clothing items such as shirts, track pants, socks, slides, and shirts. There is a women’s collection for Yeezys, with items such as women’s shoes, lingerie, and slippers.
In the early 2000s, Kanye West, a rapper, musician, and personality, was looking to expand into fashion and apparel. As a result, he partnered with Adidas and designed a shoe in 2006, but never released.
Kanye partnered with Bape instead and released a series of Bapesta “College Dropout” shoes. These shoes are currently highly-prized collectors’ items and are well hunted by sneaker collectors.
Aside from Bape, Kanye also worked with Louis Vuitton, Guiseppe Zanotti, and Nike. The collaboration with Nike was particularly successful, resulting in the release of several shoe lines, such as Air Yeezy 1 and 2.
Kanye parted with Nike in 2013 over issues with royalty payments and decided to work with Adidas instead. In 2015, the collaboration produced its first product, the Yeezy Season 1. The launching of the shoe was so highly anticipated within the sneaker community that the launching party even included celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Diddy, and Rihanna. The success of Yeezy Season 1 was followed up with Season 2 and 3.
The collaboration has produced many more products over the years, from sneakers. Yeezy now includes jackets, shirts, lingerie, slippers, and pants. In 2020, Yeezy reached over $1.7 billion in sales, netting Kanye a handsome $191 million in royalties alone.
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Where Are Yeezys Made?
Yeezys are currently made in China, in Adidas’s production facility. Many reasons may contribute to the decision, such as lower cost, easy access to manufacturing materials, and good logistics to ship Yeezys worldwide.
Lower Cost
Yeezys are primarily made for the American market. Thus it makes sense that they would be made there as well.
However, China has a lower salary rate than America. Adidas can hire more individuals in China than in America with the same budget. This offers the potential for significant cost reductions and productivity increases.
Having more employees equals greater production, increasing the number of Yeezy products made for sale. As a result, each product’s cost is reduced, enabling Adidas to sell them for less and pass on the cost savings on to customers.
Good Supply Chain Connectivity
Many companies and factories manufacture in China. Such a large manufacturing base has resulted in a very efficient port, and the shipping industry has developed around it. This is because products made in these factories need to be shipped across the globe to be sold.
This indicates that goods produced in China can be quickly and readily exported worldwide. In a relatively short period, potentially as little as a few days, a Yeezy made in China might arrive at an Adidas store in Miami.
As a result, distance is not something Adidas worry too much about when setting up their production plant for Yeezys. Adidas acknowledges this and concludes that China might be a better location than America.
Easier To Source Materials
China, as we all know, is the world’s factory, producing the majority of the goods we can now buy at Walmart. These factories are also supplied with raw goods, which tend to be close by.
If you look at the materials used to make Yeezys, there may be rubber, nylon, polyester, neoprene, and many more.
Adidas can likely obtain many of these raw materials at competitive prices in China. Once procured, these supplies may also be supplied to their factory fast because of the closer proximity. This may have made Adidas decide to manufacture Yeezys in China.
Why Are Yeezys So Expensive?
Yeezys may be expensive because they are designer shoes to start with. Many of Yeezys’s designs are also limited editions, with a limited number of pairs per release before they run out. Some Yeezys also use Adidas’s proprietary shoe technology, such as BOOST.
Many people may not understand why Yeezys are so expensive. A pair of Yeezys can cost $300, which is quite hefty compared to a regular pair of Adidas sneaker shoes. The price difference may come from a combination of multiple factors:
Designer Shoes
Yeezys are, after all, designer shoes. Like how almost anything can become expensive when a designer designs it, the same can be applied to Yeezys. The only thing is that instead of having a proper, full-on designer designing Yeezys, you have Kanye West instead.
Kanye West is more well known as a rapper, which means not many could relate how a rapper could be designing shoes. However, he did design the shoes, which means his prestige and name are related to Yeezys, resulting in a high price.
Limited Editions
Some Yeezys are limited editions, meaning only a certain pair is produced and then stopped. Such colorways or designs may have a very limited supply. At the same time, demand may be very high as these limited edition Yeezys are collector items. As a result, the price becomes very expensive.
Adidas’s Proprietary Technology
Another reason Yeezys are expensive is that it uses Adidas’s proprietary technology in its construction. This gives Yeezys the ability to perform well in sports and increases your comfort level when wearing them.
For example, many Yeezys have Adidas’s BOOST technology. It is a unique cushioning technology that gives Adidas’s shoes a unique feel compared to other brands. Shoes with BOOST usually have a bubble-like texture on the soles.
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How To Spot Fakes?
The best way to spot a fake Yeezys is to compare a suspect pair with an original confirmed pair. Some areas to observe are the overall shape, hell tab, insole, heel lining, and outsole. These areas often can tell if a pair of Yeezys are original or not.
When checking against fake Yeezys, one of the best ways to do it is to compare a suspect pair against a true original from the same design.
This is because you can visually compare and confirm anything suspicious, which may help you quickly tell a real from a fake. You may be able to detect a fake Yeezy without comparing it against the original, but it may be harder.
Observe Overall Shape And Form
Examine the appearance as a whole with care. Since the Adidas Yeezys’ heel may have a certain curve, even the most exact copies might still be inaccurate in this regard. This curve must be present from the midsole up to the upper portion of the heel tab. The heel of Yeezy knockoffs frequently has a rough appearance.
Check The Heel Tab Stitching
Check the heel tab, paying attention to the knit pattern. This is due to the Yeezys’ varied textures, which are designed to produce a distinctive pattern throughout the pair. Counterfeit Yeezys may not be able to copy this well, resulting in a rather different knit pattern compared to the original.
Check The Heel Lining
Check the stitching pattern surrounding the hill lining. It should be frequent with little to no room in between. The imitation pair frequently may have some sewing irregularities.
Next, check the 3 stripes’ durability, paying close attention to the rubber accents around the heel. The real stripes should feel substantial to the touch. Replica Yeezy shoes may have considerably thinner and less expensive stripes. Check the lining’s overall color; the color hues and shades should be uniform.
Outsole
An authentic outsole would be very bumpy and have a slight gloss. The bits of original Yeezys are usually larger. Replicas may not get the sizing and finish right, so compare your suspect pair with the original to confirm.
Some Yeezy outsoles may feature a window under the heel. Compare it against the original. Replica Yeezys may not get the sizing and positioning tight.
Size Tag
Compare the size tags between the two pairs. The size tags should be behind the tongue of the shoe. The size of the tag should be the same. The font types, sizes, and weight should also be the same. Also, observe the sizing and spelling in the tags, as these may be a quick way to tell an original from a fake Yeezy.
Insole
Now compare the insole between the real and the suspect pair. Focus on the material, print and logos found there. The top side of the insole must have a well-printed Adidas logo. The logo may be embossed or printed. Any logos or texts should be consistent. The size, color, font type, and font-weight should also be consistent.
Turn the insole around to compare the printing design between the original Yeezy and the suspect pair. The lines, dots, and shapes should be similar across the board. The line width and depth should also be consistent. Any consistency may indicate a red light. The pair you have in hand may not be original.
Side Logo
Now compare the side logo between the two pairs. You should see the Adidas logo and a YZY stamp on the inner sides of each Yeezy pair. The logos should be in the center and etched on a surface similar to suede. Counterfeits may either fail to print the logos in the central position or not be able to get the right fonts.
