Kanye and adidas are really heading onto the basketball court. After several years of rumors and leaked images, the first shoe of Kanye’s foray into performance sportswear will finally release in the Spring of 2019.
Yeezy Basketball should not come as a surprise to your average sneakerhead, thanks to the massive amount of hype behind the new silhouette. Kanye has been talking about jumping into performance gear for years now, and with his adidas deal providing plenty of creative outlets, it appears they have finally settled on a design that Yeezy wants to see on the court. This comes after several years of both rumors and leaked silhouettes, including one iteration that looked like a high top Yeezy 700 “Waverunner”, though it is abundantly clear now that this look did not make the final cut. Now titled the “Quantum”, the updated silhouette appears to the same one that Kanye himself premiered on social media earlier this year.
The adidas Yeezy BSKTBLL “Quantum” appears to be an amalgamation of previous Yeezy sneakers. While the influence from the 700 is still present in the toe box shape and paneling, there is clear inspiration from the 350 V2’s wavy pattern across the rest of the upper, which appears to feature Primeknit with bold zigzag 3M stripes underneath. The collar extends high above the wearer’s ankle and is likely padded for extra support on the court. The heel section of the shoe is particularly interesting, as the material blocking and shape is reminiscent of the Jordan 15, however, a large piece of it is made from 3M reflective coating which stands out in Kanye’s shared image. Because of the loud 3M accents, the NBA has announced plans to ban the Yeezy Basketball silhouette from the league, as the light reflecting panels are too distracting during games. However, Kanye and the adidas team are likely to switch up these materials to make the Quantum more game appropriate, though only time will tell.
The adidas Yeezy Basketball Quantum has no official release date as of yet, though they are expected to launch sometime in Spring 2019. The retail price for this pair is likely to be up there with the likes of the 700 silhouette in the $300 dollar range, though this is purely conjectured as of now. Check out the images of Kanye rocking the Yeezy Basketball Quantum below, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more exciting Yeezy news.
UPDATE (February 9th, 2020):
Well, here we are. Another NBA’s All-Star Weekend is here, and yet another unconfirmed release of the Yeezy Basketball Quantum from the Yeezy Mafia. While all signs point to the highly-anticipated release of the new model, we know to take this news with a grain of salt (see: all the other updates). Regardless, stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more info and be sure to bookmark our release page for links to purchase.
UPDATE (May 31, 2019):
There is still no word from adidas or anyone in the West family announcing a potential release for the upcoming Yeezy Basketball Quantum, though they are still expected to drop sometime this Spring. This week, Mrs. West herself, Kim Kardashian, stepped out in the high-top silhouette, giving us a closer look at what to expect when the Yeezy Quantum finally hits shelves.
UPDATE (June 24th, 2019):
The adidas Yeezy Basketball Quantum has started to arrive in the hands of some of our favorite Instagrammers with early pairs. This week, SneakerJamz showed off some on-foot shots of the upcoming silhouette, though there is still no word on when they might release.
UPDATE (August 16th, 2019):
Guess what? The adidas Yeezy basketball shoe has been delayed (I think?) again. At this point, I’m not sure it’s being delayed, and more confident that it simply has not been nearly ready for the past several months. Today, the YeezyMafia took to twitter to share our best look yet at the upcoming silhouette, which is now anticipated to release early in the new year.
UPDATE (January 25th, 2020):
Still no official release date for the Yeezy Basketball shoes, though the rumor mill is still chruning. The latest news points to All-Star weekend for the long-awaited debut, which would make sense given the shoe’s loose ties to NBA players as well as the setting of Ye’s hometown of Chicago. Stay tuned for more updates.
UPDATE (April 22nd, 2020):
After the initial releasing in Chicago back in February, the adidas Yeezy Quantum still has not yet made its way onto adidas’ release calendar, but new rumors contradict that. Reportedly, the Quantum will return in both lifestyle and basketball iterations next month, on May 15th, 2020.
