WASHINGTON -- Some of Adidas' remaining Yeezy shoes are back on sale -- months after the German sportswear company cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
Adidas ended its yearslong partnership with Ye in late October, in light of his antisemitic remarks and other harmful behavior. In the months that followed, the fate of $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys remained unknown -- until last month, when Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden announced the company would be selling a portion of the remaining inventory and donating some of the proceeds to social justice organizations.
The first batch of Adidas' remaining Yeezys went on sale last week. At this time, the sneakers appear to be available through Adidas' app "Confirmed," according to the retailer's website. Part of the profits will be donated to organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, Adidas says.
Last week's release marks the first time that Adidas has sold Yeezys since the partnership termination in October. The Yeezy products up for sale will include already-existing designs as well as those that were initiated in 2022 and set to be released in 2023, Adidas previously noted.
"We believe (selling and donating these Yeezys) is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities," Gulden said in an May 19 statement.
At a May 11 annual shareholder meeting, Gulden explained the company made the decision to sell and donate Yeezys after speaking with nongovernmental organizations and groups that were harmed by Ye's comments and actions.
Some details of Adidas' plans are still unclear -- including how many Yeezys will eventually go on sale and what portion of sales will be donated. The Associated Press reached out to Adidas for further information last week.
Cutting ties with Ye cost Adidas hundreds of millions of dollars -- contributing to a loss of $655 million in sales for the last three months of 2022, which helped drive the company to a quarterly net loss of 513 million euros.
Adidas reported $441 million in lost sales at the start of 2023, the company announced last month.
Meanwhile, investors also filed a class-action lawsuit against Adidas in late April, alleging the company knew about offensive remarks and harmful behavior from Ye years before terminating its pact with him. Adidas has pushed back on the allegations.
Information for this article was contributed by David McHugh and Anne D'Innocenzio of the Associated Press.
FILE - A sign advertises Yeezy shoes made by Adidas at Kickclusive, a sneaker resale store, in Paramus, N.J., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Some of Adidas' remaining Yeezy shoes are back on sale, Wednesday, May 31, 2023, months after the German sportsware company cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)