Who is Kasper Rorsted? Kanye West puts Adidas CEO on blast, calls Adilette slides 'fake Yeezys'
Kanye West returned to Instagram on Monday, June 13, to take a swipe at Adidas for allegedly copying his Yeezy designs. West called out Kasper Rorsted, Adidas' CEO over the launch of its Adidas $55 Adilette 22 which apparently bears a striking resemblance with Ye’s $70 Yeezy Slides, which is also a production of Adidas.
Ye, as he is now known, shared a photo of the Adidas' $55 Adilette 22 sandals that sold out instantly upon release in May with a lengthy caption. He wrote, “To Kasper I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more,” he wrote. “To all sneaker culture To every ball player rapper or even if you work at the store. This is for everyone who wants to express themselves but feel they can’t cause they’ll loose their contract or be called crazy.” “These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent,” Kanye concluded. “This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by adidas themselves I’m not talking to DC about this either Kasper come talk to me Happy Monday.” The post is no longer visible on his account.
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The new Adidas Adilette 22 slides will be releasing in 5 different colourways, with a few dropping Thursday June 23rd, retailing for $55 dollars. Available https://t.co/4Klxm3hQq2 and select Adidas retailers. The slides are made with natural and renewable materials 🌱 pic.twitter.com/s6nNmbbDWl
— Ovrnundr (@Ovrnundr) May 30, 2022
Adilette 22 Slides were released in May, with an updated version of the brand's signature slides. Adidas redesigned its slides and stripped off the side three strips from the slides. The company says the design is inspired by “3D topography and human expeditions to Mars.” The slide has a warped, 3D-print-Esque mold and has been previewed in a variety of earth tones, which makes it very similar to that of the Yeezy Slide from West’s own Adidas line.
Later in the evening of June 13, Kanye made another Adidas-related Instagram post sharing a screenshot of a text message that appears to outline the stipulations of his contract with the brand. Highlighted is a clause that notes “There is a limited exception where he can do Yeezy branded casual and lifestyle apparel on his own but not with a competitor.” From the post, it could be seen that Kanye is teasing launching his own Yeezy apparel line without the help of Adidas, but it could also be a form of negotiation.
Who is Kasper Rorsted?
Rorsted was born in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1962 and is a Danish national. Since 2016, Rorsted has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adidas AG, Herzogenaurach, Germany and is also a member of the Supervisory Board, Siemens AG, Berlin and Munich, Germany. In 2008, Rorsted was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Henkel and left the company in the year 2016. Rorsted's contract with Adidas is until 2026.
Adidas Yeezy
West launched his first Yeezy collection "Yeezy Season 1" which included the first apparel collection with Adidas in 2015. Wikipedia reveals that the first shoe model ("Boost 750") was released in February 2015 under the partnership with Adidas, West retains 100% ownership of his brand while having full creative control over the products released. By 2019, sales for Yeezy’s Adidas sneakers generated $1.3 billion in annual revenue and In 2020, sales for the sneakers reached nearly $1.7 billion in annual revenue, netting Yeezy $191 million in royalties. Through a combination of factors including popularization by celebrities, Adidas Yeezy sneakers have come to be extremely influential and highly coveted.