The Air Yeezy hype

June 1, 4:34 PMSF Streetwear ExaminerCharlene Haze Alcantara

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photo credit: Nikepedia

Today is June 1st, which means in the next couple of days (or even now) you might notice dedicated fanatics setting up camp outside of stores. Why? Mentioned earlier, Kanye West continues to expand his pop culture iconic empire into fashion by teaming up with Nike and releasing his sneakers, the Air Yeezy. For those who know Nike’s history, Nike is very selective when choosing collaboration projects, not offering numerous opportunities towards athletes, moreover celebrities. Nike’s most known and significant athlete collaboration to date is Michael Jordan. Air Jordan has built an empire in itself since its first release in 1985 with the Air Jordan 1 and still grows today, making it one of the classic lines for a sneaker fiend to follow. However, a new classic has quickly emerged ever since Nike agreed on teaming up with Kanye West to develop the Air Yeezy.

For sneakerheads around the world, it would be known that the Air Yeezy would be a valuable item to any sneaker collection, thus making it one of today’s most sought out shoe. For most who choose to drop the $200+, buy the names behind the sneaker: Nike and Kanye West. As for the true sneaker freakers, purchasing the sneaker means being part of the hype, buying the brand and the quality dedicated to the design aesthetic of the shoe. Kanye West and Mark Smith (designer at Nike) have done their part to ensure the shoe holds to its name and value. Kanye and Mark had pulled in references from Nike’s sneaker history, Air Jordans, Back to the Future, Robotech, and additional anime influences giving the Air Yeezy a futuristic and sleek look. Below is a breakdown about the Air Yeezy, including a compilation of videos and an exclusive feature from Complex about the sneaker – from its colorways, release dates, design details, to the gully of the camp-outs and lines from previous released Yeezys.

• The Air Yeezy is released in three colorways: Zen Grey/Light Charcoal, Black/Black, and Net/Net. The Zen Grey/Light Charcoal colorway was released April 4th 2009. The Black/Black colorway was released May 2nd 2009. And the final colorway, Net/Net, will be released on June 6th.
• Complex gives a close look into the minds behind the creation: Kanye West and Mark Smith. Both stress the importance of design instead of the branding element. 
• 
  Leaders 1354 produced an excellent, short documentary about the Air Yeezy, explaining a breakdown of the shoe’s design details, the insanity retailers are expecting for the release, and a quick look into a sneaker fiend's emotions about the shoe.
• So far, fans have reacted generously to the sneaker – one fan stating, “I respect Kanye West’s fashion sense.“
• For the amount of excitement for each colorway release, sneakerheads choose to camp out for several days and even to a week’s end for the shoe. Retail locations usually provide a checklist for those who endure the camping out process to ensure the dedicated troopers their pair.
• Some retail locations however choose to raffle the shoes instead because of disorderly conduct from buyers. And some retail locations keep buyers skeptical of their stock to prevent disruptive behavior.
• Nonetheless, campers truly dedicate themselves to get a hold of the shoe: days of camping, checklists, and possibly even fights/riots have broken out all because of the fiend for the Air Yeezy.
• Camping out is part of the sneaker culture, especially for most sought out sneakers. There is a momentous height of seriousness for these sneaker fiends when it comes to camping out. For most it’s comparable to preparing for a Black Friday sale, a sporting event in itself taking endurance and patience to reach the finish line (in this case, a successful purchase).
• And if you haven’t spotted them, Kanye rocks the Black/Black Air Yeezy in his music video with Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo, “Knock You Down”.

Stay tuned this midnight (06/02), where a list of confirmed locations of the last Air Yeezy release in the San Francisco / Bay Area will be posted here.