We teamed up with the data wizards at StockX to present the numbers behind six big trends that dominated the sneaker world in 2017.
Kanye West inked his prolific deal with German sportswear brand adidas in the beginning of 2013. Sneakerheads and 'Ye stans alike waited patiently until February 2015, when product first hit the market. Since then, West and adidas have continued to trickle out apparel and footwear, with 2017 ushering in new 350 V2 and Powerphase colorways, as well as the brand new Wave Runner 700 silhouette.
If you need to brush up on your YEEZY knowledge, check out our complete beginner's guide to the Kanye West x adidas collaboration.
Below, we dissect the numbers behind the unprecedented success of YEEZY footwear in 2017.
Also, don’t miss our data-driven analysis of Nike Air Force 1s in 2017.
YEEZYs by Popularity
Securing a pair of YEEZYs for ticket price is far more difficult than it sounds. Kicks from the coveted sneaker range often double or triple in price on the secondary market, and 2017's releases were no exception to the rule.
First released in February, 2017, then re-stocked with more quantities in June, the "Zebra" 350 V2 was the most-sold pair of YEEZY sneakers on StockX in 2017, clocking in at 23% of the YEEZY market share, just under a quarter of total sales. Thus, for every dollar spent on YEEZYs in 2017, nearly a quarter went to “Zebras.”
Affectionately referred to as the "Beluga 2.0," the "Grey/Bold Orange" color scheme followed closely, with 22% of the YEEZY market share. Lastly, the "Cream White" colorway represents 14% of YEEZY sales on StockX in 2017.
Resale Premiums
Representing the sixth largest percent of the YEEZY market share at $5%, the "Semi-Frozen Yellow" 350 V2 from December is the most valuable YEEZY of the year, selling for average resell price of $747 USD, at a 240% premium. This particular colorway was rumored to be far more limited than previous 350 V2 releases.
The second and third most valuable YEEZY releases of 2017 are the YEEZY Wave Runner 700 and "Zebra" 350 V2, garnering resell prices of $702 (a premium of 134%) and $691 (a premium of 214%) respectively. These figures are a sobering reminder that if you're able to snag a pair of YEEZYs at retail level, you should consider yourself lucky.
YEEZY Market Share
The chart above shows total volume of all YEEZY sales in 2017 represented by the grey chart, with specific colorway releases called out through the year. We found four weeks in 2017 where YEEZYs exceeded 50% market share, an incredible level of dominance for a single sneaker type. This occurred following the release of the “Zebra,” “Beluga 2.0,” “Cream White” colorways, and then again in late June, with the re-stock of the “Zebra”. In total, that’s a full month where more money was spent on YEEZYs than all other sneakers combined.
While the YEEZY Waver Runner 700 was made available to pre-order on August 12, StockX sales slowed to a trickle between the months of August and November due to an absence of YEEZY releases during this time.
However, since late November, YEEZY sales have surged once again. Buoyed by a succession of rapid-fire releases - the "Frozen Yellow", "Beluga 2.0," Powerhase Calabasas in Grey, and "Blue Tint" releases all dropped within a month of each other, between November 18 and December 16 - overall YEEZY market share held between 35% and 50% for the last 5 weeks of 2017.
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