{"id":891605,"date":"2019-05-08T14:04:27","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T18:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=891605"},"modified":"2022-09-12T18:29:23","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T23:29:23","slug":"nike-air-yeezy-2-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/nike-air-yeezy-2-history\/","title":{"rendered":"How Kobe Bryant Helped Kanye West Debut the Nike Air Yeezy 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kanye West<\/strong> has a deeper IMDb page than one might imagine.<\/p>\n

Sure, we all remember Runaway<\/em>. Some of us even recall when he debuted “Good Life” (with an intro!) on Entourage<\/em> in 2007.<\/p>\n

But it was his role in Kobe Bryant and Robert Rodriguez’s The Black Mamba<\/em> that really impacted sneaker culture.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/sPw6hvYC-p4<\/p>\n

How?<\/p>\n

Because in that film meets footwear spot that released in 2011 he debuted the Nike Air Yeezy 2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Playing foil to Kobe like a suited up Shane Battier, West wore his second signature sneaker if only for a moment as first spotted by Chris Lee of CtotheJL.<\/p>\n

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Rumors of a second Nike Air Yeezy had been swirling for a minute.<\/p>\n

Back in 2009 when Nike launched the original, Kanye told Complex<\/a><\/em>‘s Bradley Carbone that he and Nike had a shoe that could hopefully “be the Yeezy 2 someday.”<\/p>\n

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tweets via Sole Collector<\/a> & Wave<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leading up to the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy<\/em>, West tweeted details of his Nike deal alluding to more being on the way but wanting to make more models than he was allowed.<\/p>\n

Once The Black Mamba<\/em> premiered on Facebook and later YouTube, it was clear another Yeezy was on the way.<\/p>\n

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select shoe shots via GOAT<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More modern and sporty than the Air Jetson aesthetic of the Yeezy 1, the Yeezy 2 shifted the balance of retro and futuristic to a more present, performance propelled lens.<\/p>\n

Designed by Nike’s Nathan Van Hook with Kanye, the shoe was a court-ready collage of both Swoosh swag and Swoosh speed.<\/p>\n

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Nike Zoom Kobe V Torch Tongue for cozy fit and lockdown with less padding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Torch tongue played off the tech seen on the Nike Kobe V, while the featured Vac-Tech branding was soon a staple on NSW releases.<\/p>\n

Anaconda textured panels would play off primal instincts, also in line with Kobe’s sixth signature for which The Black Mamba<\/em> film was promoting.<\/p>\n

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Nike Air Tech Challenge II sole for grip and nostalgia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A forefoot strap was added for lockdown on stage, offering a nod to cross-training. Still showing love to the past, the sole was borrowed from Andre Agassi’s classic Nike Air Tech Challenge II.<\/p>\n

Lastly, padding and height were both cut down in comparison to the original, as the shoe was slimmed to better fit Kanye’s foot when performing.<\/p>\n

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photo by Jeff Kravitz\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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photo via mcmag<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Made to wear on stage, the Yeezy 2 would carry Kanye for his pivotal Coachella performance, numerous TV appearances and his acclaimed Watch the Throne tour with Jay Z.<\/p>\n

Very of the times in regard to styling, the summer release would be made for leather weather, paired on stage with a controversial kilt and off stage with En Noir joggers that were apparently presented in concept to Fendi years prior by him and Virgil.<\/p>\n

Both of the moment items were famously on display in the video for 2 Chainz’s “Birthday Song.”<\/p>\n