£1bN GOES WEST

Adidas stuck with £1billion of unsold Yeezy trainers following split from Kanye West

Ashley Armstrong

Published: 23:15, 5 May 2023
Updated: 23:41, 5 May 2023

ADIDAS has £1billion of unsold Yeezy trainers following its split from rapper Kanye West.

Bosses are stumped over what to do and the faces a £611million annual loss if it cannot sell them.

Yeezy trainers launched in 2015 and brought in £1.3billion of sales in 2020 — Yeezy trainers launched in 2015 and brought in £1.3billion of sales in 2020Credit: AP

But Adidas terminated their contract with Kanye West late last year — But Adidas terminated their contract with Kanye West late last yearCredit: AP

Adidas parted ways with the rapper, now known as Ye, in October after he made anti-semitic comments on social media.

Selling the footwear would earn him royalties — which the company is not keen on.

Yesterday chief executive Bjorn Gulden refused to rule out destroying the trainer mountain but said adidas was “trying to avoid that”.

Donating them to charities could backfire and lead to a resale rush.

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Mr Gulden added the company was “getting closer and closer to a decision”.

Yeezy trainers launched in 2015 and brought in £1.3billion of sales in 2020.

Adidas is facing a lawsuit from investors who claim it ignored potential problems over Ye’s “extreme behaviour”.

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