Kanye West’s Yeezy Basketball Sneaker Is Reportedly Being Banned By The NBA
Kanye West has spent the past several weeks promoting a monochromatic high top sneaker that is set for release in conjunction with the start of the 2018-19 NBA season. Unfortunately for Ye, the word that got around to reaching the public via industry sources connected with ESPN, on Tuesday, October 2, suggests that his viral marketing push will likely prove to be for naught.
According to reports, Ye’s brand new Adidas Yeezy model is yet to have been evaluated by the league, but executives as high up the chain as vice president of identity, outfitting, and equipment, Christopher Arena, are expected to decline the possibility that the kicks will pass the eye test for approval. Almost certain to prevent the design that Kanye has occasionally teased from getting the thumbs up is the distracting quality of its reflective “3M” heel panel.
The glow in question can be seen in a few of the selfies that Ye has shared of himself sporting the look he’s envisioned players from around the league taking to. While the potential for the futuristic kicks to begin showing up on the feet of athletes and celebrities out in public is a no-brainer, it is easy to see how they could present a reasonable challenge to fans and opposing players trying to concentrate on the game.
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The NBA is said to have a practical process and fairly lenient guidelines to what kind of footwear is cleared and determined ok to be worn on the court these days. There was a time when that wasn’t the case. In fact, due to the league-wide uniform policy’s demand, at the time, that a player’s sneakers match their team colors, Michael Jordan’s groundbreaking Nike Air Jordan 1’s faced resistance when they were introduced in 1985.
Eventually, the league adapted and allowed for some flexibility in catering to the shoe endorsement industry’s potential to thrive in the sport. But, as was the case when a few short years ago Carmelo Anthony’s Jordan M10’s were banned for a similar reason to the new Yeezy’s, those with say over dress code have remained in objection to the sporting of material that gives off any kind of overt chrome or metallic appearance.
With that in mind, Kanye will more than likely be given the option to submit an alternative design for review. It will be news that the music and fashion maven won’t receive well given his claim via Instagram that the sneaker took three years and 300 sample updates to produce.
