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How to buy sneakers for the hypebeast in your life
It's hard enough to find gifts for your loved ones during the holidays, but hypebeasts in particular are a picky bunch. They only want the most hyped products and the rarest sneakers, which can be a complicated world to navigate as a shopper if you're not familiar with it. But we're here to help. Thankfully, there are many ways to find something hypebeasts might like online -- even if you have to spend more money and time than you had hoped for. Here's how you can buy sneakers, apparel and even fanny packs (they call them waist bags) for the hypebeasts in your life.
Kanye West's sustainable Yeezy concept uses algae foam
The next sneaker in Kanye West's Yeezy line could be made from algae foam. West offered a glimpse of the shoe at Fast Company's Innovation Festival today. He also shared that Yeezy is planning to move its headquarters to a 4,000-acre ranch in Wyoming, where it will grow its own algae in a hydroponic farm.
Sneaker marketplace GOAT has an app just for China
Scoring a pair of limited-edition Vans or Air Jordans just got easier for Chinese consumers. Online sneaker marketplace GOAT announced their official launch in China today with a new localized app just for Chinese consumers, along with a WeChat version tailored for the popular messaging app. In the past, Chinese consumers relied on the US app to buy and sell sneakers. The nation has already grown to become GOAT's second-largest market, just behind the US.
Sneaker Con bets NFC will keep fakes off its new shoe-selling app
Buying limited-edition sneakers, like Kanye West's Yeezys, isn't easy. Whether they drop on a site, in an app or a brick-and-mortar store, they often sell out in minutes, sometimes seconds. This sense of scarcity is what's behind the growth of secondhand online sellers such as StockX and GOAT, where you can find basically any hyped shoe that's ever been released by Adidas or Nike... for a premium, of course. What makes these sites popular is that they guarantee authenticity. With StockX, for instance, any pair you get from it comes with a QR code verification tag, but that's only for internal use. GOAT, meanwhile, sends you a letter saying the shoes have been authenticated. But these are decidedly low-tech and not particularly transparent solutions. Sneaker Con, a company that hosts conventions for sneakerheads all over the world, is hoping to add a 21st-century twist to the authentication game.
Adidas brings Yeezy reservations to its main app
Since 2015, Adidas has been letting customers reserve highly coveted sneakers (like Kanye West's Yeezys) through its Confirmed app. But that's about to change in the coming weeks. According to a message the company is displaying in Confirmed, the application's features will soon move into the main Adidas app, which was launched in November of last year. Back then, Joseph Godsey, head of digital brand commerce at Adidas, told Engadget that limited-edition drops could be coming to the Adidas app down the road. And, well, it looks like that's finally about to happen.
Kanye West bought Kim Netflix and Apple stock for Christmas
It's Christmas morning in the Kardashian-West household. The family, possibly wearing Final Fantasy-inspired pyjamas, gathers under an enormous blinged-out tree. "Can we listen to Christmas songs?" North might ask, with the hopeful glee of a small child during the holidays. "Maybe later," says Yeezy, as he once again hits play on The Life of Pablo, which is definitely not streaming through Tidal. Kim chooses a gift from the mountains of presents piled up in their living room, and unwraps it to find a Disney toy, Apple headphones, Adidas socks and gift cards for Netflix and Amazon.
Adidas’ first shopping app is also a personalized news feed
It's hard to believe that Adidas hasn't had its own shopping app, considering that we're living in the age of the smartphone. But that's all about to change. Today, the German sportswear giant is introducing its (aptly named) "Adidas" application, which will let iOS and Android users buy products without having to go to their web browser. Adidas says the app is designed to offer an experience tailored for every consumer, based on the type of gear you're into or the sports you play. The main idea is for you to have personalized product recommendations, and the more you use the app with your account, the better it'll be at knowing your taste.
Kanye West just deleted his Twitter and Instagram
People are freaking out because Kanye West just deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Not surprisingly, there's no explanation as to why the producer-turned-rapper-turned-designer decided to shut down his social media pages, but don't be surprised if it's part of a sneaky marketing plot. Yesterday, his wife Kim Kardashian revealed that the two were collaborating on a children's clothing line named Kids Supply, so the timing of Kanye's decision may be tied to that.
Adidas brings its Yeezy reservation app to some European cities
It's Yeezy Season yet again. Today, following weeks of speculation, Adidas made the release date for Kanye West's new sneaker official: June 11th. In preparation for that, the company has updated its Confirmed app with a new look and, most importantly, expanded availability. The application, which lets iOS and Android users reserve Yeezys for in-store pick up, will work in Europe for the first time, starting with Berlin, Milan and London.
How Instagram became the perfect platform for streetwear resellers
Instagram isn't just about pictures of food. Search certain hashtags -- #yeezysforsale, for example -- and you'll find countless images of the most in-demand streetwear. Behind those photos are resellers who have turned the social network into a platform for buying, selling and trading items. This is where those coveted Yeezy sneakers end up for resale, often in the thousands of dollars. The same goes for limited-edition Air Jordans or clothing from Supreme, a New York City-based brand that's taking a particular section of the fashion world by storm.
Adidas tries to make buying Yeezys fair but misses the mark
Buying Yeezy Boost sneakers online is tough. It comes down to this: Supply cannot meet demand. The shortage is so acute that if you don't buy them at launch for retail price -- between $200 and $350, depending on the model -- you'll have to pay upwards of $2,000 on eBay or another site to get your hands on a pair. Reselling Yeezys has become a business, and both Adidas and Nike (with its retro Jordans) are turning to tech to make the shopping experience fair and safe for everyone.
Nike and Adidas turn to tech to make sneaker shopping safer
I recently bought an online shopping cart from a 16-year-old on Twitter. And when I say "an online shopping cart," I mean it: In exchange for $140, I received a login code to Nike's site that guaranteed me a pair of highly coveted sneakers, the "Chicago" Air Jordan 1s. That code was won through a Twitter-based raffle, a system Nike has started testing for limited edition releases; I had entered myself, but wasn't lucky enough to have my name drawn. Instead, while sadly browsing the social network to see how many people were chosen, I came across a young kid from New Mexico who had been picked and wasn't interested in purchasing the shoes. I reached out to him; we followed each other on Twitter; and, after vetting my character over direct messages to make sure I wasn't a scammer, he agreed to sell his "ticket" to me. It was bizarre, considering I still had to pay the $160-plus-tax retail price for the footwear. But, nowadays, it's the kind of thing you have to do to get Jordans. My other option was to find them on eBay or Amazon and shell out $400 to $500 -- more than twice as much as the original MSRP.
Kanye West says he rejected an Apple partnership worth millions
Kanye West worked with Nike and Adidas on versions of his iconic Yeezy sneakers, but the artist says the folks on Infinite Loop wanted to collaborate, too. The New York Times' T Magazine reports that West turned down "a multimillion dollar partnership with Apple." During a meeting with a group of designers, the hip-hop mogul briefly mentioned the offer without elaborating on the details, since the subject of the talk was his lofty fashion-focused ambitions. The obvious deal would be some sort of collaborative effort with the upcoming Beats Music/iTunes relaunch. Of course, there's no concrete evidence of this, but reports indicate that Apple's Jimmy Iovine (a Beats co-founder) is doing his best to lure some of Tidal's roster of artist-owners over to its streaming option. Exclusive releases or release windows wouldn't be too much of a stretch, as Apple tried a similar tactic with last year's U2 release -- though it didn't go so well.
