The Story Behind Yeezy
Kanye West's road to Yeezy started at Nike, where he released the Air Yeezy in 2009 and a follow-up in 2012. Both sold out fast and both still trade for serious money today. The partnership fell apart over royalties and creative control, so in 2013 West signed with adidas instead, on a deal that gave him a wholesale royalty and, eventually, full ownership of the Yeezy brand itself.
The Boost 750 dropped in February 2015, followed months later by the Boost 350 in "Turtle Dove," and that primeknit silhouette became the shoe most people picture when they hear the word Yeezy. But Yeezy was never only footwear. From Season 2 onward, West staged full runway collections roughly twice a year, moving from the military-inspired layers of Season 1 to the stripped-back sportswear of Season 5 and the social-media-only rollout of Season 6, fronted by Kim Kardashian instead of a runway show. In 2020, he took the apparel side further with Yeezy Gap, putting minimalist, oversized basics into Gap stores worldwide before that deal ended in 2022 amid disputes with Gap's leadership.
Adidas ended its own partnership that same year, after West's antisemitic public statements, and sold off the remaining inventory in phases through 2024. West didn't stop there. In 2024 and 2025, he relaunched a fully independent YZY line through his own site, with apparel and new, non-adidas footwear like the YS-01 slide and BL-01 sneaker. One brand name now covers three different eras: an adidas-era archive, a defunct Gap collaboration, and a live independent label.
Sneakers Worth Knowing
- Boost 350 / 350 V2: The shoe that started it all. Primeknit upper, Boost sole, and colourways like Zebra, Beluga and Cream White that became streetwear shorthand on their own.
- Boost 700: Released in 2017 in "Wave Runner," this chunkier silhouette helped kick off the dad-shoe trend before that was even a phrase.
- Foam Runner: A one-piece algae-and-EVA clog that looked strange in 2020 and now sits in most serious collections.
- Slide: Simple, molded, and the best-selling Yeezy of all time by a wide margin. Onyx and Bone remain the most requested colourways in our store.
- YS-01 and BL-01: The newest additions, released independently through West's own site in 2024 and 2025, without adidas involvement or Boost cushioning.
Yeezy Gap and the Season Archive
Yeezy Gap ran from June 2021 to September 2022, West's attempt to put his design language on a shelf almost anyone could reach. Think oversized silhouettes and utilitarian basics: the Perfect Hoodie, round jackets, tracksuits, all in the earth tones and dove greys that define his palette. A short-lived Balenciaga collaboration pushed prices and hype higher before the deal collapsed. Because it only sold for about a year, genuine pieces are harder to find than the release volume would suggest.
The Season archive is a different kind of hunt. These come from the actual runway collections, Season 1 through 9, shown between 2015 and 2022, in far smaller runs than the Gap line ever saw. A Season 3 army jacket or a piece from the Kardashian-fronted Season 6 drop is closer to a fashion artifact than a piece of streetwear, and we source them that way, checking construction and labelling against verified reference pieces before anything goes on the floor.
Why Buy Yeezy at 2nd Culture
Every Yeezy piece that comes through our doors, sneaker or apparel, goes through an authenticity check before it reaches the shop floor. That matters more with this brand than most. Since adidas stopped producing the sneakers and Gap stopped stocking the clothing, fakes have flooded resale platforms, and the gap between genuine and convincing copy often comes down to stitching, fabric weight and label details most people wouldn't think to check. Our team does, every time, and we're picky about condition too. A pair with a blown-out heel or a hoodie with a stretched collar doesn't make it onto the rack, no matter how rare the piece is.
How to Style Yeezy
The 350 works best when you let it be the loudest thing in the outfit: straight-leg trousers, a plain crewneck, nothing competing for attention. The Perfect Hoodie and other Yeezy Gap pieces want the opposite treatment, worn oversized with equally relaxed trousers so the proportions do the talking rather than any logo. Season archive pieces reward a bit more restraint. Let one standout item, a jacket or a coat, anchor a simpler outfit around it rather than trying to layer several eras of Yeezy at once. If you're building out a full rotation, our sneakers collection has other models worth pairing them with, and the jackets shelf carries pieces that layer well with either look.
Sizing Notes
Yeezy sneakers run small across most models. The 350 and 350 V2 typically fit half a size to a full size down from your usual size, while the 700 and 500 run closer to true to size. Yeezy Gap and Season pieces are cut deliberately oversized, so most people size down from their usual clothing size unless they want the full drop-shoulder look. If you're unsure about either, come try a piece on in the store. Fit varies enough across eras that guessing from a chart alone isn't always reliable.
