Demand for Yeezy has yet to wane

Demand for Yeezy sneakers has not faded, despite almost a year of controversy surrounding Adidas’ now broken partnership with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

The first drop, which was sold between April and June, secured the sportswear giant 400 million euros, and has also seen the value of Yeezy's on the secondary market continue to soar. Adidas for its second drop is counting on even greater sales, as it opened select wholesale channels to offload the remainder of its Yeezy inventory. On Wednesday, retailers including JD Sports began to sell the second release of the shoes.

Last week the Financial Times reported Adidas received orders valued over 508 million euros for its Yeezy inventory of 4 million pairs. Sales of Yeezy were halted last October after relations between the German sportswear brand and Ye broke down and their contracts were severed.

The ensuing popularity means Yeezy as a brand may be regarded separately from that of its controversial founder. Alternatively, Ye’s comments and actions are overlooked by its customers and the market at large, as the sneakers remain desirable items that have kept their resale value.