Ye tugged up his cuffs at a Grammy brunch to show the first adidas Yeezy

Outside Roc Nation’s Grammy brunch in Beverly Hills on 7 Feb 2015, Ye pulled up the cuffs of his black trousers so the photographers could get a proper look. Light brown suede, a strap across the forefoot, a white sole. Jason LaVeris shot it for FilmMagic. Getty’s caption didn’t commit: Ye was “speculated to be wearing the Yeezy 3 sneakers”.

The caption had it about half right. It was the Yeezy 750 Boost. A week later it’d be the first adidas Yeezy anyone could buy. Everything Ye made with adidas over the next seven years traces back to that light brown pair.

A shoe with its own app

The next night he wore it to the Grammys, and adidas Originals tweeted a picture of it on his feet. Complex reported that it was the first time the brand had confirmed the shoe was his. The morning after, the adidas Confirmed app pinged its users. adidas had launched the app for this release, and the message didn’t leave much doubt: the Yeezy Boost would drop All-Star weekend in New York.

The date didn’t take long: 14 Feb 2015, reservations only, at adidas, Foot Locker and Champs stores in the city.

Four days in New York

It walked at Yeezy Season 1 at Skylight Clarkson Sq on 12 Feb. Hypebeast’s closer look that day listed a suede upper, a perforated toe box, the strap, a zip down the outside and Boost underfoot.

The night before launch Ye joined Drake at Irving Plaza for “I Don’t Like (Remix)”, and he didn’t leave without handing Drake a pair. On launch morning he turned up at the adidas Originals store in SoHo with pairs for fans.

9,000 pairs, then a zip problem

BET reported about 9,000 pairs in the first drop. They didn’t last. A second drop went out on 28 Feb 2015 through adidas Consortium stores worldwide and flagships from Berlin to Shanghai. By June buyers were posting broken zips, and adidas offered them a new pair or their money back, Hypebeast reported.

Getty’s brunch caption still says “speculated”. Ye had settled it the moment he pulled up his cuffs.