Kanye West Teases BL-01 ‘Bully’ Sneakers After Allegedly Selling $3 Million on YZY Website
After releasing the YZY SL-01 slipper, Kanye West, also known as Ye, has teased a new sneaker design. The creative has been continually expanding his YZY brand as an independent venture. The line has prioritized the simplicity often seen in Ye’s work as well as affordability.
On Tuesday, Ye released the YZY SLPRS SL-01 slip-ons. That $20 shoes were the second pair of shoes in a lower price-point. The sole is ridged. After the shoe’s release, Ye reported that he has sold more than $3 million in apparel through the site. It’s unclear if all of these sales are from the slip-on.
Since that launch, Ye has also teased a new shoe design. Named the BL-01, the design is an all black sneaker. It does not appear to include laces. The shoe is chunky with what appears to be a cushioned midsole as well. asa ridged sole. There are panels of various fabrics, some of which appears to be neoprene. The sneakers also appear to be light and breathable.
Pricing and release date for the sneakers have not been announced. Many expect them to be $20. On Instagram Stories, West referred to the shoes as “The Bullys.” He also has a “Bully” titled album and accompanying merchandise on his site.
Both of these styles follow the release of the $20 YZY Pods. Those shoes have the appearance of socks with a sole. They were first made available in December 2023 but the price was changed to $20 in February 2024. Looked at sequentially, each shoe style released since then has become increasingly complex. This comes after the dissolution of Ye’s relationship with Adidas. That partnership came to an abrupt end in October 2022 after Ye made repeated antisemitic comments.
Ye and Adidas first signed their deal in 2013, debuting their first shoe at the 2015 Grammys. Prior to Adidas, Ye had designed sneakers for Nike.