cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/23276653
this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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Said right before he dropped a $245 pair of goddamned sneakers...
He wanted his shoes to be affordable but nobody would let him do it
He was trying to make an entire Yeezy fashion brand that unlike other celebrity sponsored clothes was going to be affordable so that kids could actually afford it
But the companies that did work with him wouldn't let him have full control like he wanted so the shoes were limited run, pricy, etc... and eventually he kind of had to do it himself which means it had to be expensive. It was his dream to build it up so that he could make $30 T-Shirts and $60 shoes
But Bipolar is a real bitch and well, without his medicine, he pretty much just lost his mind
Shaq already paved the way to do that. Kanye could have easily followed a similar path.
Shaq was an athlete so companies approached him
Kanye was a rapper who was reaching out to shoe companies with an idea
Shaq approached Payless Shoes to launch his own brand instead of extending his contract with Reebok. That's why Shaq shoes were only $40.
I'm not Kanye or an executive so I don't have all the details but...
At the time Kanye was doing this entire publicity tour about how he wanted to launch a low-cost fashion line. $30 T-Shirts, $60 shoes. Things kids could actually afford
But then it turned into him going around to TV shows and Radio programs talking about how nobody wants to let him do this. I believe this is when he got in a big fight on air with the DJs of some big show.
So it's not like this was a one time remark he said, he tried this for a long time; constantly comparing his struggles to him becoming a rapper. How everyone wanted to buy his beats but nobody would let him record an album. "You just make beats" they said. Then he finally got to make an album and it's an overnight classic. And then he did it again, and again, and again
Now he wants to do fashion and they say, "You just rap, you don't do fashion". But just how he became a great rapper he was positive he could make a great fashion line if someone, anyone, would give him the chance
Eventually he had to make the limited-time, high quality shit he made... with the goal of earning enough, making a name for himself, to launch the lower-cost line he always dreamed of
But somewhere between then and now he had a massive manic episode and apparently never took his medicine. So now he's just out there, manic as shit, doing and saying whatever crazy shit pops into his head
...
And... you actually believe that? That he couldn't find a company to make his sneakers but for cheaper than Nike?
yeah, it was a pretty big deal at the time
He wasn't an athlete so no clothing or shoe company came to him, he just wanted to do it and was approaching them. To which they basically said, "you're a rapper not a fashion designer". While they were OK putting his name on shoes, they weren't OK with letting him take control and set the price points and stuff
I'm sorry, I was unclear. The part where Nike didn't give up creative or manufacturing (or distribution) control is totally believable - the part I'm struggling to find credible is that he couldn't then find anyone willing to agree to manufacture shoes to his specs and then let him arrange for distribution. That's... just not how that works. Donald "the rapist" Trump can figure out how to do that, but Ye couldn't?
I can totally believe nobody came to him about it, but all that means is he didn't want to work with a generic brand he approached. It would have been almost trivial to solve the problem if he were serious about an affordable clothing brand, rather than a trendy clothing brand.
I don't know all of the details but I do remember him pushing this hard... going on talk shows, going on the radio, etc... and nobody would bite
He kept telling the story about how he use to just make beats and nobody would believe he could rap. Now he's a big rapper trying to make fashion and nobody believes he can do it. In fact I believe this is when he got in that big fight on the radio with the DJs
So the story was always that he wanted to make a Yeezy brand of clothes and shoes but keep the price low so that kids could afford it, but nobody wanted to work with him. Sounds like they were happy to slap his name on expensive clothes but not cheap stuff; and nothing long-term, short-term limited run type of thing
I'm not Kanye or an executive at Nike so I don't have all the details, but that is what he was preaching at the time
Kanye was a good dude. But he's Bipolar and he doesn't take his medicine so he's crazy as shit now