By GRANT KRUSEWSKI
staff writer
If current shoe trends continue, Adidas will pass Nike as the leader in sportswear within the next four years. Here are the four reasons why.
1. Kanye West
With the help of Kanye West, Adidas not only entered the high fashion market, but it also made its presence felt.
Originally, West had a contract with Nike. He released the Nike Air Yeezy 1 and 2. The Yeezy 1 is currently selling for over $1,000 and the Yeezy 2 can be purchased on eBay for anywhere between $2,000-$6,000 depending on the size and color.
The main dynamic that West brought to Adidas is the amount of hype surrounding himself and his shoes.
Not only did this hype effect his signature shoe, but it also indirectly effected other Adidas shoes.
West currently has three signature shoes with Adidas. They are the Yeezy Boost 350 (pictured), 750 and the 1050 Yeezy boot.
The 350s and the 750s are the most hyped of the collection, currently going for over 400 to 500 percent of their retail value; the 350 retails at $200 and the 750 retails at $350.
In addition to the hype of the Yeezy shoes, whatever West wears instantly becomes popular.
For example, the new Adidas Ultra Boosts were previously not a highly popular shoe until West was seen wearing the all-white Ultra Boost last year in Soho, N.Y.
After the paparazzi picture was released on different sneaker websites, the Ultra Boost instantly sold out on all websites and could be found on eBay for almost 175 percent the retail value.
2. Style
With the acquisition of Kanye West, Adidas was fully committing itself by diving head first into the street fashion market.
It’s safe to say that Adidas embraced this market. It has put out numerous models that street fashion fans have gone crazy over.
To list a few, Adidas has dropped the Ultra Boosts, the Tubulars, and more notably, the Adidas NMDs. The NMDs are Adidas’ newest and most popular shoe to date.
The NMDs have been the most revolutionary release this year, right next to the Yeezy Boost.
There are currently NMDs on the reselling market going for over $300 to $500; original retail value for these shoes is $120.
Hip-Hop icon Pharrell teamed up with Adidas to release a collaboration on the NMDs called “The Human Race,” which only added to the hype surrounding Adidas.
These NMDs dropped in multiple colors, most notably yellow, retailing for around $240. They are currently reselling on eBay for $800 to $1,000.
3. Innovation
Another area that Adidas is excelling in is innovation.
The most notable innovation that it has released is its “boost technology.”
The boost technology was released in early 2013 and has taken off ever since.
Boost technology was actually a collaboration with Continental Tire. “Boost” can be found on most of Adidas’ top of the line shoes, including the Yeezy Boost, the NMD, and the Ultra Boost.
I can say personally that the Adidas Ultra Boost is the comfiest shoe that I have ever worn, and it is the only running shoe that I will ever buy from now on.
This opinion has been the common consensus among “Sneakerheads,” as the Ultra Boost and NMDs, no matter the color, are consistently selling out.
4. Quality
The most important aspect of Adidas’ rise to the top of the shoe market is the quality of its shoes.
This is the main issue with the Nike brand right now. Everything that Nike has released this year is very low quality and high priced.
Nike’s most recent release, the Air Jordan 1 “Banned,” was its most sought-after release of the year, but there were numerous cases of production defects after release.
Among the defects, the overall quality of the leather, stitching and lacing was completely off.
In addition to that, the past Air Jordan releases have lacked basic, expected quality.
Conversely, the most recent Adidas shoe releases have been above average quality.
From its Primeknit to its Boost technology, Adidas is going above and beyond with the quality of its products.
Currently, Adidas’s stock is worth around $84 a share and Nike’s sits at $55 a share.
This could be a sign that kids who are interested in fashion aren’t the only ones taking another look at which company is performing the way that it should.
If Adidas keeps doing what it’s doing, it is possible that the company will catch up to Nike in total sales and profits within the next four years.
GRANT KRUSZEWSKI
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