The Adidas line of Yeezy shoes has been trending as some of the most expensive shoes in the sneakerverse. But are they worth the exorbitant amount most sneakerheads choose to pay for them? Let's find out!
They come with a hefty price tag mostly because they are designer shoes that are limited edition and are only made for a certain number of potential buyers. The limited stock allows the company to increase prices given the increasing demand yet limited supply.
The cheapest Yeezy shoe appears to be the Yeezy 500 and 700 with a cost of around $200, followed closely by the popular Yeezy 350 which retails for about $220. The most expensive shoe of the line is Yeezy 950 which has a $585 price tag.
Shoe Name | Approximate Cost In US Dollars |
Yeezy 500 | $200 |
Yeezy 700 | $200 |
Yeezy 350 | $220 |
Yeezy 950 | $585 |
If you find that expensive, you’d be surprised to know that the resale cost of these shoes runs much higher than the original cost. Since Yeezys tend to run out as soon as they hit the market, most people have to buy them from the aftermarket where they're resold.
Places like StockX and Stadium Goods stock Yeezys for resale after verification. There you can check prices for whatever model of Yeezys you want. Depending on the model and color of the shoe, some Yeezys have been known to resell at up to $2,000-$11,000.
Fun fact: prices for popular colorways go higher, sometimes up to 8 times the original price!
If you want to learn more about expensive Yeezys, I have done a full article on that.
Here are some reasons why Yeezys cost that much:
We have known that anything from retail to skincare with a celebrity endorsement in the brand name will automatically be more expensive than non-celebrity products of the same line. Kanye West being one of the more popular musicians is the mastermind behind the Yeezy line of shoes, automatically making them more expensive.
Designer products are expensive by default. Add a celebrity name to it and we’re looking at a hefty cost no matter what the product is.
There is no shortage of Kanye West fans around the world, which automatically creates a large target demographic for this shoe line. That, plus celebrities like Justin Beiber and Brooklyn Beckham endorsing the infamous shoes just increases demand by a great margin.
Now we combine that with the fact that Adidas only creates a limited number of these limited edition shoes. The limited supply plus the large demand gives the sellers more leverage with the cost since they can demand a higher price knowing that people will buy them either way.
As soon as the shoes are launched, they are sold out within hours because people would rather buy an expensive shoe than miss out on them.
Yeezys are meant to be lifestyle shoes, to be worn as everyday shoes when going out. If you wear them often and have minimal to moderate walking around, your Yeezys will last for about 6 months before the bottom rubber sole begins to disassemble.
Yeezys are not meant to be running shoes, nor are they meant to be worn in extreme conditions. If you run in them or wear them in snowy or damp areas, they are more likely to disintegrate within a month or so.
Yeezys have a fabric upper that prevents them from creasing. Creasing is more common with leather or faux leather shoes.
Some ways you can prevent your Yeezys from creasing are:
Sneaker inserts are shaped according to the silhouette of our feet and can be inserted into the shoe to prevent creasing while you’re not wearing them. It's especially important to use sneaker inserts when you’re packing your shoes and you don’t want them to crease.
Stuffing your shoes all at once in a shoe cabinet isn’t the best way to store your Yeezys! Instead, they came in to store them. Or if you can, have a shoe-stacking closet where you can align your Yeezys.
That way your shoes will stay crease-free and won’t suffer from the humidity of crammed-up spaces.
If you wear any pair of shoes every day, they’re bound to crease sooner or later. Yeezys are precious so try to save them for special occasions. Or at least alternate wearing them with your other sneakers so your Yeezys don’t wear and tear very soon.
Try using a shoehorn when putting on your sneakers. Not only does it make the act easier, but it also prevents the heel from crushing when you put them on. This prevents creasing on the heel end of the shoe.
This is subjective to each person and usually depends on the motivation behind getting these shoes. The bottom line is, If you want to buy Yeezys because you want a good quality shoe for everyday wear, then no Yeezys probably aren’t worth it.
If you remove the celebrity tag and look at Yeezys for what they are: an expensive casual shoe with a fancy design, comfortable but moderately durable. You really don’t see the point in spending $200 or more on them since you get much better everyday shoes for a fraction of that price.
I mean at their original retail price, it isn’t that bad of a deal but with the resale prices being almost 5-8 times the original prices, I really don’t see how these shoes deserve the hype.
But if you want to buy the shoes because they’re made by Kanye West and owning them is a rarity of sorts, then maybe spending that much money isn’t too bad of an idea for you. Overall, it isn’t a bad shoe, it’s comfortable and good for casual hangouts; I personally don’t see how they’re worth that hefty price tag.