Kanye and Adidas Are Opening Yeezy Stores, Going Into Athletic Clothing

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When word spread across the internet in early May that Kanye West was planning to drop his next Yeezy shoe release without Adidas, his partner in getting the clothing and footwear lines off the ground in 2015, it seemed like West might have been stepping back from the collaboration to blaze his own path.

Nope.

On Wednesday, Adidas announced the start of an expanded partnership with West, one that it is calling “the most significant partnership ever created between an athletic brand and a non-athlete.” It’s almost as though Kanye wrote the press release himself.

Given the fanfare around his February The Life of Pablo album release party slash Yeezy Season 3 fashion show — the clothing collection follows the traditional fashion calendar, while shoe releases come out more frequently — we’d expect nothing short of a massive rollout.

Here’s what we know so far, based on Adidas’ statement: The new Yeezy product will include footwear, clothing, and accessories for all genders across streetwear, which has been the focus thus far, and performance apparel, meaning workout gear. Adidas is dedicating an entire design team to the collection, and the company has plans for a retail presence — stores “that will serve as distinct hubs for adidas and West developed Yeezy product.”

According to a rep for Adidas, those “hubs” will in fact be dedicated retail stores that will open in the coming years. (Yeezy product will still be available in Adidas stores and on its website.) What exactly will they look like? Watch this space.