The takes the beloved silhouette and adds a fresh update.
Since its in June 2015, the 350 silhouette has essentially remained the same. The 350 hasn’t needed an update, though, as it is by far brand’s most popular . The 350 Boost ranked second on StockX’s 2020 list of most traded shoes, ranking only behind the 1 and ahead of such iconic sneakers as the Air Force 1 and 4. All ten of the most-traded sneakers in 2020 were 350s, and the Brand jumped from sixteenth on StockX’s ranking to sixth, sitting in between major brands (one spot ahead) and Vans (right below). In 2021, the ranked fourth on StockX’s list of most traded shoes.
However, since six years have passed since its first , it seemed like a good time for and Kanye to try something new with the Boost 350 silhouette and add some updated elements.
Enter the and the .
Released in June 2021, the was one of four shoes that formed the , which included the , , , and Mono Cinder. The shoes initially retailed for .
Updates
With the and , Kayne West and his team give the a significant overhaul.
The prime knit upper gets replaced with a translucent monofilament mesh.
The translucent material reveals an inner cage with a perforated webbing (just be careful if you have trypophobia as the pattern could set you off).
The eyelets receive an update in the form of a color-matched protective ring surrounding the lace holes.
Familiar elements are still featured, like a pull tab on the heel, full-length Boost cushioning, and a stripe that runs from the pull tab to the toe box.
All four shoes in the have a distinctive monochromatic .
As the name suggests, the features an icy baby blue and white . The has a baby blue upper with a dark blue stripe running across the side. The cage beneath the upper is white, and the outsole and midsole are also white. The laces and sockliner are white as well.
The was an exclusive on to , , and China.
The features an earthy brown translucent upper, a burgundy stripe across the side, and a dark brown inner cage. The midsole and outsole are a gum color. The laces and sockliner are the same shade of light brown.
Kayne’s was an exclusive on to Europe, Africa, India, The Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, and China.
The is the most vibrant in the . The upper is a translucent pale orange (it almost looks like it could be considered a salmon color). The stripe across the is a darker orange. The cage underneath the upper and the laces, eyelets, sockliner, midsole, and outsole are also a similar pale orange.
The was an exclusive on to the Asia Pacific region, Oceania, and China.
Mono Cinder
The final released in the , the Mono Cinder, is a blacked-out of the Boost . The upper is made of a translucent black. The stripe across the is a more prominent black that stands out against the upper. The web cage beneath the upper is black. The laces, eyelets, pull tab, outsole, and midsole are all black.
The only thing on the that is not black is the sockliner, which is a bright red. Because of the translucent upper and red sockliner, when the wearer’s feet are not in the , the ’s insides glow a reddish-orange-almost like a Jack-O-Lantern.
Breaking the regional model, the 350 Mono Cinder was released exclusively on yeezysupply.com.
How Built a Successful Brand
The brand and 350 Boost V2 are the brainchildren of rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer . put Kanye on the map as a fashion designer, taking him from an outsider in the fashion industry to the powerhouse designer of a billion-dollar brand.
Kayne’s first foray into the world of design was with Nike. Long before Kanye’s collaboration with , there was the Nike Air . The partnership started in 2007 when Nike creative director, Mark Smith, approached to design his own signature . It was the first time in Nike’s history that they partnered with a non-athlete to produce a signature .
Kanye wanted to create a new silhouette that combined classic Nike sports technology with modern-day fashion materials.
The result was the Nike Air 1.
Nike Air 1
After two years of development, the Nike Air 1 was released for $250 in 2009. The creative partnership between Smith and West yielded a that combines Nike’s rich sports history with Kanye’s unique style.
When talking about the design process and the significance of Nike’s brand, West said: “Nike is such an important brand to me. Whether you are on the court, in the street, in the club, at school, Nike represents excellence, the standard in design. Growing up, we looked forward to the of new Nike’s the way we would an album by our favorite artist. So the opportunity to collaborate on a design with Mark Smith and Nike Design has been a dream come true, and a great experience.”
His love of sneakers influenced Kanye, and the Air 1 features a similar midsole to the 3. Another design element taken from the Jordan Brand was the iconic elephant print, which Kanye and Mark Smith recreated by using a pattern of mini Ys on the ’s strap and along the suede mesh toe box with, Y standing for , of course. The sole of the also glows in the dark.
Nike released the Air 1 in three colorways: Zen Grey, Blink, and Net Tan.
Kanye first debuted a prototype for the Air 1s at the 2008 Grammys, sparking massive hype for the . The Grammys prototype is actually the most valuable ever, selling for 1.8 million dollars at auction-becoming the first documented sale of over 1 million dollars.
Nike Air 2
The success of the Air 1 guaranteed that a follow-up was in the works. The Air 2 ended up being the final and Nike collaboration. For three years, Kanye worked on designing the Air 2. Instead of working with Mark Smith, Kanye designed the with Nike designer and artist Nathan VanHook.
VanHook and Kanye were inspired by Ancient Egypt, featuring a futuristic spike molded heel with fake reptile skin and a snakeskin upper. References to the Egyptian God Horus are on the tongue and insoles. Triangle patterns resembling pyramids are on the strap holder, and Kanye also hid Egyptian Hieroglyphics that spell out “YZY” under the strap. The sole glows in the dark like the Air 1.
Like the original Air 1, the Air 2 borrows elements from other Nike sneakers. The Air 2 uses the same sole unit as Nike’s 1989 tennis , the Nike Air Tech Challenge II-the signature of tennis player Andre Agassi.
The Air 2 dropped in 2012 with two colorways: Pure Platinum and Solar Red. The supply at was extremely limited, with 5,000 pairs between both colorways, which created immense demand for the and high resale prices. Following the Air 2, severed ties with Nike, citing Nike’s refusal to pay him royalties and Nike’s CEO Mark Parker refusing to get on the phone and talk to him as the driving factors.
In 2014, Nike dropped the last Air 2 , the Red October, unannounced via a random link on their Twitter page. The shoes sold out within seconds and are now viewed as a Holy Grail for sneakerheads everywhere. The resale value for the Red October is insane, ranging anywhere from $14,000 to $50,000 depending on the and resale website.
Signs with
Following the and Nike deal falling apart, stepped in and offered the star a lucrative deal in 2013. gave Kanye the respect and compensation missing in his Nike deal. Working with , Kanye retains 100% ownership of the brand and receives 15% in royalties on the sale of his shoes.
During this time, focused on musicians and cultural icons to create signature shoes rather than star athletes. Pharell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and Big Sean were initially part of ’s efforts to revive cultural dominance for the brand.
worked with designer Steven Smith to help bring his new creative vision to life. Steven Smith has worked on other iconic silhouettes such as the 997, 550, the Nike Zoom Spiridon, and the Reebok Instapump Fury.
Nike was dominating the market at the time with the Nike Roshe Run. Sneakerheads were concentrating on shoes that were comfortable, affordable, and simple enough to wear every day. This started a minimalist trend in the world of culture. ’s response to the success of the Roshe Run was the Boost technology, specifically the PureBoost . Kanye was a big fan of this technology, and with the technology and team in place, he was ready to start designing his first of shoes for .
The 750
The 750 was the first Kanye and collaboration to hit the market. Released in 2015 for a retail price of $350, the 750 was a radical departure from the types of shoes Kanye was designing for Nike.
The 750 combines a towering boot-like build with the Boost technology. The has an all suede upper, a forefoot strap, oversized rope laces, and a zipper on the side with a ribbed sole. There is no visible branding anywhere on the , except for ’s iconic three stripes hidden underneath the strap.
Kanye geared the Boost 750 more towards fashion and less towards sportswear. This design choice is reflected in the 750’s colorways, which are muted and more subtle than the Air colorways: grey and white, grey and gum, brown and gum, and triple blacks.
350
The predecessor to the and the , the 350 took the experiment to the next level.
The 350 debuted during New York Fashion Week in 2015. The Boost 350 features a knit, low-top upper and a pull tab on the heel, with the same ribbed midsole set up from the Boost 750. The 350 Boost is very reminiscent of the Roshe Run, and it was even referred to as the “Roshe Killer” among the design team.
The Boost 350 initially debuted with four colorways: Turtle Dove, Pirate Black, Moonrock, and Oxford Tans.
The Boost 350 was a massive hit, and the biggest issue with them and the Boost 750 was that they sold out in minutes. Kanye was sympathetic to fans who missed the opportunity to grab a of his coveted shoes. Kanye’s goal was that eventually, everyone who wanted a of Yeezys could get a of Yeezys.
During an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Kanye said: “I want to apologize to all the kids and all the parents that can’t get the shoes currently because there’s only 9,000. And also, ’cause they’re $350 and if they’re out of anyone’s price range … I just wanna make sure that we keep it safe. I’ve heard about people getting hurt for sneakers in the past, and I just want everyone to be safe and be patient – just be patient. I know you can run up on this 14-year-old kid and take his Yeezys, but just be patient because we’ll make more Yeezys. Eventually, everybody who wants to get Yeezys will get Yeezys; has promised me that, because there’s so many kids that have wanted them that couldn’t get them. I talked to the heads at , and they said we can make them.”
Kanye’s quest of Yeezys for all would finally come to fruition with the . The Boost allowed West and company to improve upon their original Boost 350 design and address many of the complaints users had with the Boost 350.
They added a thicker, more sturdy knit upper to provide increased structure and support. A larger Boost unit was added in the form of a full rubber sole. Stripes and “SPLY 350” lettering (the significance of which is still unknown) on the side of the were also added.
The Boost dropped with a series of now iconic colorways: the Beluga, Zebra, Blue Tint, Bred, Dazzling Blue, and Oreo, to name a few.
The Boost also saw a higher quantity and more frequent releases, giving fans and sneakerheads more opportunities to grab a . The hype for the died slightly, but the popularity remains.
The Boost silhouette and brand are still going strong. Since the , has designed the 700, 500, 380, the Slide, the Quantum, and the Foam Runner.
Where to Buy the and
The and give the familiar Boost 350 Silhouette a renewed update. The shoes’ monochromatic colorways and translucent upper change the traditional knit upper and add a new perforated design.
Given the regional strategy of the , not everyone had access to every in the , meaning sneakerheads and collectors had to take to resale sites to grab all four pairs.
The sells for between $250 and $350, depending on the wearer’s .
The sells for between $215 and $370 resale, depending on the wearer’s .
The sells for between $205 and $360 resale, depending on the wearer’s .
The Mono Cinder sells for between $230 and $430 resale, depending on the wearer’s .
All four sneakers and all other shoes can be purchased from popular resale sites such as StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, Flight Club, and eBay.
Future Boost Changes?
The is a cool, icy blue that revamps the popular silhouette. The question now is, what other changes will make to his beloved Boost design?
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