Do Banned Yeezy Cleats Give Kanye His Jordan Moment?

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On September 8, Adidas introduced the Yeezy Boost Cleat. On September 16, the NFL threw them out of the game. Citing a rule that calls for cleats with “one dominant base color,” the NFL fined Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins $6,000 for wearing them last Sunday in a win over the Bears. Given that Michael Jordan was famously fined $5,000 for his black-and-red Air Ships back in 1985, that seems like a bargain, especially given a 30-second commercial spot during an NFL game costs in excess of $600,000.

Hopkins claimed he would wear the Yeezys again “only if Kanye agrees to pay the fine.” And honestly, why wouldn’t he? Unless there are escalations, a full season of Yeezy exposure from Hopkins would cost Kanye (or adidas) under $100k, a small price to pay for getting even more Yeezy in front of the massive NFL audience. Not that they necessarily need the extra publicity—released on September 15 for $250, the “Turtle Dove” 350 cleats sold out immediately. It seems a safe bet that the 750s will do the same. But if Yeezy is going to go mainstream, this is an easy (and cost-efficient) way for the brand to grow.

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