Kanye West’s YEEZY Rips Off éS Skateboard Shoe from 2001
Is the nineties throwback skateboard trend dead yet? Apparently not.
One of the latest is YEEZY looking back at the éS Scheme skate shoe from 2001. To each his own I guess.
Sample:
(Virgil) Abloh is also on record as a Supreme fanatic. So it makes sense that the new adiPRENE YEEZY Season 6 runner that popped up on Instagram almost two weeks ago also draws on skateboarding’s rich history of trend-starting innovation. While many rightfully cited the Raf Simons x adidas Originals Ozweego as one influence on the forthcoming shoe, those who care about such things—like the editors of notable skate website Village Psychic—spotted another forerunner: the chunky, puffy-tongued éS Scheme skate shoe, which first dropped in 2001.
From the nubby sole protrusions to the mesh-and-leather sidewall to the pull-tab tongue and even the upturned toe, the adiPRENE YEEZYs bear a striking resemblance to éS Schemes, which were released just as the ’90s-born, puffy skate shoe trend was peaking, before declining in popularity to be replaced by more low-profile kicks like Vans and Chucks during the 2000s.
But now that sleek SK8-Hi’s are ubiquitous, challenging the market share of sneaker behemoths like Jordan Brand, it makes sense that tastemakers like Kanye would turn their attention to something a bit more substantial, especially as other brands continue to recapitalize past ’90s successes.
Click to HIGHSNOBIETY to see YEEZY’s rip-off the old éS skate shoe from 2001.
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