Over the past couple of weeks, Kanye West, now known as Ye, has been quietly creeping back into the spotlight. As you'd expect, it's Ye's YEEZY-related endeavors in the fashion world that have kicked his name back into conversation, with his recently unveiled YEEZY SEASON 10 fashion show and the return-to-market of adidas YEEZY products recently at the news cycle's forefront.
This time around, while visiting the Los Angeles Supreme store in mid-May, Ye says to hell with sneakers (sorry adidas YEEZY fans) and opts for a pair of MMA shinguards.
Hard to believe that anyone's ever popped down the shops or headed into town wearing a pair of instep guards, considering the fact they aren't shoes – there's no sole. Ye's literally walking barefoot here.
However, though this pair of "sneakers" might take more than a fistful of inspiration from guards, they're apparently the newest piece of footwear in the YEEZY arsenal. Dubbed YEEZY SOCK SHOES — or YZY SOCK SHOES, as Ye prefers the shorter version of YEEZY these days — the MMA-inspired foot guards were first seen as part of the extremely subdued YEEZY SEASON 10 presentation, before cropping up in Ye's latest look alongside wife Bianca Censori.
As revealed in a filing to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ye's YZY SOCK SHOES branding covers “Socks; socks with leather soles.” Anyone hoping for proper sneakers in the vein of the adidas YEEZY line is likely to be quite disappointed — Ye is going full flat-footed.
Fortunately, there are no bare feet in this 'fit as Ye appears to be wearing the same leggings seen in Ye's recent Manchester United ensemble beneath his new YEEZY shoes, creating the illusion of a pair of boots.
Completing the look is some sort of cropped leather sweater – a staple silhouette in Ye's wardrobe.
While we hold doubts that Ye's new YEEZY MMA shinguard socks will catch on as a sneaker trend, stranger things have happened...
Still, even if these are mere YEEZY samples that Ye isn't planning to release, they're worth discussing.
When not dropping hate speech and starting controversy with his anti-Semitic outbursts, Ye is frequently hinting at what he's planning for YEEZY by wearing bizarre outfits.
Over the years, we've come to expect the unexpected as Ye utilizes his positioning as a style leader or trendsetter to push the boundaries of what most would consider "acceptable" style, from motorcycling gloves and boots during Ye's "FREE LARRY HOOVER" benefit concert with Drake to his newfound legging obsession. Just when you think you've seen it all, there's another trick up Ye's baggy sleeve.
