Ranking Kanye West's Sneakers, Worst to Best

Image via Complex Original

$450, for these? Nah. —Matt Welty

Ever wish you had a pair of the Adidas Yeezy 350 Boost that looks like it caught some sort of weird disease that mutated its upper? We can’t imagine too many fans of Ye’s footwear would say yes to that and yet, we still got this, the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 CMPCT. The sneaker is a pretty forgettable one in the Adidas Yeezy line, arriving in a time when truly new models seem to have kind of stalled out. The overall silhouette of the 350 is still decent enough, but we really don’t need more permutations on it. We definitely don’t need one that looks like this and definitely not in a “Red October” colorway. Keep making 350s if you have to, Yeezy, but please don’t make too many more that look like this. —Brendan Dunne

The 700 MNVN, which stands for “minivan,” was a weird shoe from the very beginning. For starters, it was first debuted in a neon green colorway back in 2018, not by the man himself or one of his family members like usual, but by the infamous rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine. It made a bit more sense at the time as the two had worked on a few songs together, but is much more of a head-scratcher in hindsight. Despite being officially part of the 700 family, the design shares little with its predecessors aside from its overall shape. Rather than a layered upper that feels more like a retro runner from the ‘90s, this pair uses a single-piece nylon upper. It features large, reflective “700” branding on each lateral side panel that isn’t exactly a welcome detail either. A few colorways have released ranging from “Triple Black” to “Orange,” but none are particularly coveted. This one just sort of feels like it didn’t need to happen, especially considering how good the other 700s have been. It appropriately sits near the bottom of the list. —Mike DeStefano

This sneaker shouldn’t be on the list. I fought hard to exclude it, but it wasn’t the hill to die on. Out of all the sneakers on this list, the Adidas Yeezy Calabasas Powerphase wasn’t a sneaker designed by Kanye West. Sure, there are the slightest of tweaks, but it’s an archival shoe from 1986 with gold lettering on the side. With that said, I actually like this sneaker and would wear it. If we’re ranking shoes based on the design, though, this hardly has any. Some say less is more when it comes to design, and that’s true. But come on, man. —Matt Welty

Mr. Hudson declared that he wants to be “forever young” on the JAY-Z track of the same name in 2009. Nobody has heard of him since. His name will live in infamy thanks to one Mr. Kanye West, who named one of his three Louis Vuitton sneakers after the silver-haired crooner. This shoe really rides the fine line of being a sneaker or not. It’s a boat shoe, but it has the same sole as the rest of the Louis Vuitton x Kanye models. So, it gets the pass. —Matt Welty

Kanye’s jump into basketball footwear was a long time coming. He was first spotted in a Yeezy hoops sneaker in 2017 while dropping in on a UCLA practice. The shoes would go through various incarnations after that, eventually landing on a design known as the Yeezy QNTM. While that’s been the main model associated with Yeezy’s basketball output, there was a recent addition in the form of the Yeezy BSKTBL Knit in late 2021. The shoe is essentially across between the aforementioned QNTM and the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 CMPCT, also released in late 2021. It takes the warped, knitted upper of the CMPCT, adds an extended ankle collar, and replaces the 350 sole with that of the QNTM. The Frankenstein sneaker isn’t for everyone, but the higher cut and modified midsole make it marginally better than the standard 350 V2 CMPCT. —Riley Jones

The Yeezy 500 is already a polarizing enough design. It doesn’t have the wearability of other Kanye shoes like the 700 or 350 V2. Still, the chunky low-top has its supporters. In December 2019, Adidas introduced a new variation, the 500 High, in a grey “Slate” color scheme. It marked Kanye’s first high-top design since the 750. Adjustments were made like replacing the OG mesh pod paneling with neoprene, and more obviously heightening the ankle collar. Some people might like this look, but it seems unnecessary. Quite honestly, it made a hard-to-wear-style even harder to wear, and much less appealing. —Mike DeStefano

Kanye West’s first performance basketball sneaker is an interesting point in the Yeezy timeline. The QNTM was arguably one of the most anticipated models from West’s time with Adidas. Which NBA player would wear it in-game first? Would it be banned for its reflective heel? The rumors swirled. And despite many rumored dates, it seemed like the shoe was never going to actually come out. Finally, it got its big moment in February 2020. During NBA All-Star Weekend, fittingly in West’s hometown of Chicago, multiple big-wheeled Sherp vehicles took to the snow-covered streets of the Windy City todeliver pairs of the QNTM to eager customers for the very first time. It was easily one of the most memorable moments of the weekend. Some might say the moment itself has even overshadowed the actual shoe. That Sunday, West would sit courtside at the All-Star Game in QNTMs of his own, and Brandon Ingram would lace the shoe up on court. The QNTM has gone on to release in a handful of colorways since, none too different from the previous iterations. Not many players wear the sneaker in games now, either. While the buildup to the QNTM was fairly huge, it just hasn’t been able to live up to the hype that was created for it. —Mike DeStefano

The Yeezy Knit Rnr is a bit of an interesting entry on this list for the time being because we still really don’t know much about it. With relatively no promotion or build-up whatsoever, it was revealed by Adidas social media accounts on Sept. 22 that the shoe would be debuting in a yellow “Sulfur” colorway the following day. As expected, it sold out. The shoe itself isn’t very intricate though. The laceless slip-on has a shell-like knit upper and sits atop a rubber outsole. The bulbous shape closely resembles the Foam Rnnr sans the perforations. If the Foam Rnnr was the “Yeezy Croc” than the Knit Rnnr is the “Yeezy Clog.” 

The minimal design means that these things will likely be dipped in every color possible in the coming months, which means these could become a new casual staple for many in the same way the Yeezy slides have. It’s the $200 retail price on these that is a bit of a head scratcher though. These would be a much better sell hovering in the $120 range probably. All in all, the Knit Rnr certainly isn’t bad, but it isn’t all that incredible either. It will be interesting to see how the general public gradually warms up to this pair over time, but for now we will just have to wait and see. —Mike DeStefano

In June of 2016, Kanye West was joined on the Summer Jam stage at the Meadowlands by fellow G.O.O.D. music rappers Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Pusha T, and Desiigner. Their joint performance was notable, but it was what was on their feet that stole the show. West and his disciples were laced in the new Yeezy Boost 750 in its Grey/Gum colorway that released just a few days following this memorable outing. Built more like a boot than an actual sneaker, the 750, while not the easiest shoe in the Yeezy catalog to pull off, is one of the best built. Having been shelved since October 2016 and being limited to only four retail colorways, a new drop would be a welcomed change of pace to the Adidas Yeezy market. —Ben Felderstein

Why fix it if it’s not broken? The Adidas 700 is one of the best Kanye West sneakers of all time. The 700 V2 isn’t bad, but it’s not much, if any, an improvement on the original design. With that said, the first shoe is so good that the regurgitated design—or slightly tweaked, whichever way you look at it—is still pretty decent. —Matt Welty

It's kind of like a 350, but not really. It's not bad, but it's not great. A shoe that will hit with the masses. Need time for this shoe to sink in. —Matt Welty

This 2021 silhouette from the Yeezy line features one of the most unconventional design elements we have seen from Kanye West’s footwear offerings so far. The sock-like knit upper with an elastic ankle collar admittedly seems a bit dated. It would have fit perfectly into the marketplace back in 2015 when sneakers like the Ultra Boost and NMD were at the forefront, but feels like an outlier nowadays. What saves the $200 model—or ruins it, depending on who you ask—is its unique sole. The claw-like design extends up the 450’s minimal upper. It isn’t exactly a look that everyone can pull off, but at a time when a lot of people have grown tired of options like the 350 V2, the 450 proves that Kanye and company are still capable of taking risks and pushing footwear design in a new direction when they want to.—Mike DeStefano

When the Yeezy 500 debuted in December 2017, it was met with immediate negativity by many because it was only available if you purchased a $760 clothing bundle. All future colorways would release sans the mandatory Kanye West garments and the public reception shifted, but it’s safe to say the initial launch was somewhat of a botch. Despite the minor hiccup, the silhouette is one of Kanye’s more interesting designs with the unconventional shape of its suede and mesh upper aligning perfectly with the chunky trend dominating sneakers at the time. Borrowing the midsole from Kobe Bryant’s KB3 signature model is another added touch some might not realize but is certainly worth mentioning. The 500 has never been particularly hard to get, but the plethora of monochromatic colorways have all sold out with relative ease every single time. That doesn’t mean they resell for super high prices though. All are good options if you want to score a Yeezy for a more reasonable price compared to some of its counterparts. —Mike DeStefano

Before Virgil Abloh’s historic appointment as artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear in 2018, there was West’s footwear collection with the storied French fashion house in 2009. The collaboration was certainly a precursor of West’s trajectory in the years that followed as he became increasingly involved in the fashion design space moving forward. From all of Kanye West’s Louis Vuitton shoes, the red low-top was arguably the most sought after of the five colorways that released, but these days it’s impressive to see any pair of this luxury sneaker laced up on the streets. This sneaker also produced one of the greatest Kanye West moments ever. Watch this if you don’t know what I’m referring to. —Mike DeStefano

The Yeezy 700 V2 saw very slight banding tweaks to separate it from its predecessor. The recently debuted 700 V3, however, features a much more obvious overhaul. The result is arguably one of the best sneakers Kanye has produced since joining the Three Stripes. When the “Azael” pair launched in December 2019, it felt like the first time in a while people had to have the latest Yeezy release. The black neoprene bootie design and milky glow in the cage make the design futuristic yet wearable. A lower price point, only $200 as opposed to $300, is also noteworthy. An all-black option is rumored for February, and let’s hope it isn’t the only pair slated for the upcoming year. —Mike DeStefano

Referred to affectionately as “Yeezy Crocs” by many for its familiar perforated foam upper, the Foam RNNR is easily one of the most unique models in the Yeezy line. The shoe itself is important for numerous reasons. In an effort to be more sustainable, the silhouette designed in partnership with footwear design legend Steven Smith is made partially using algae foam. The shoe is also primarily manufactured in the United States, a major selling point as West has continued to be adamant about bolstering Yeezy’s manufacturing infrastructure domestically. The polarizing, $75 slip-on has had no problem selling out thus far since initially debuting in June 2020 despite its naysayers. The debut “Ararat” colorway currently flips for over $700 in some sizes. There will probably never be a time when everyone is won over by a design like the Foam RNNR. We get it. It’s bulbous. It doesn’t have laces. It doesn’t necessarily even qualify as a sneaker. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sit comfortably in the ranks as one of the best Yeezys to date. —Mike DeStefano

This is the sneaker that started it all. The shoe, created in tandem with Nike designer Mark Smith, and referenced some of West’s favorite sneakers, including the Air Jordan III, which he used to draw in class during elementary school. The sneaker was released in three different colorways, which would become the base for not only his second Nike sneakers, but a whole gang of other shoes from Nike and various brands. The sneakers may not have held up as well as some of his other sneakers, mainly due to their big, bulky design, something that has fallen out of favor over the years. But it encapsulates the early energy and passion that West put into his sneakers. —Matt Welty

The Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 might not be the first Adidas Yeezy model that dropped, but it certainly the shoe that catapulted this relationship into the mainstream. Releasing around the time of West’s The Life Of Pablo project, a few fans were lucky enough to secure a free pair for successfully guessing what TLOP stood for on social media. Highlighted by its original “Turtle Dove” colorway, an argument can certainly be made that the quick run of 350s is the enigmatic rapper’s best work with the Three Stripes.  Unfortunately, the model's massive popularity resulted in a pretty substantial amount of counterfeit pairs to be produced, so if you're in the market for a pair of your own, be wary of the imitators. —Ben Felderstein

The moment I thought this was going to be a classic sneaker was when Kid Cudi wore it on the pages of Complex Magazine back in 2009, with the pink sole stuck in a cartoonish pile of pink goo. With its grey suede upper and over-the-top soles, that colorway was a sign that Kanye West knew how to catch someone’s attention through footwear design. It also showed that he could get people to drop serious coin on a pair of shoes. These went for $1,140. That might not seem like a lot on the secondary market today, but 10 years ago, that was unheard of. Many thought West wasn’t making this collaboration for the “sneakerheads.” He proved them wrong. He’s gone on to bigger stardom and more mainstream projects, but the Louis Vuitton collaboration still holds a special place in the hearts of his true fans. —Matt Welty

The most accessible Kanye West design with Adidas to date is also his most important. West’s second sock sneaker with the Three Stripes helped him fulfill his promise that everyone who wanted Yeezys would eventually get them, thanks to an abundance of colorways and restocks over the years. The 350 V2 made West’s sneaker line become more than just a limited product for a select few lucky customers. It made Yeezys mainstream. Collectors might hate the over saturation and lack of exclusivity the model now holds, but that’s the exact reason why it is positioned so high on this list. —Mike DeStefano

There’s a strong case for the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 to be the best Kanye West sneaker from a design standpoint. It’s by far the best of the Adidas designs, although the 350 V2 is more popular. It’s got it all: Layers, materials, a build out of a real silhouette, and an amazing O.G. colorway. The “Wave Runner” 700 is hands down Kanye’s best Adidas sneaker. This sneaker also shifted a change in Kanye’s line’s direction from sock shoes to real sneakers. He could go beyond Boosted knit runners (although the 700 has encapsulated Boost on the midsole). He had some depth to his range. The sneaker hit at the right time, too. The “dad shoe” trend was in its early stages, and this shoe was one of the best ones around. A thick midsole with a ‘90s design and help from one of the godfathers of the original dad shoes, Steven Smith. It's since dropped in a ton of muted, uninspiring colorways, which makes the original Wave Runner version that much more exciting. —Matt Welty

Kanye’s swan song with the Swoosh remains his best work to date. The snakeskin side panels, hieroglyphic hits, and glow-in-the-dark Air Tech Challenge II sole made for a much more wearable silhouette than the Air Yeezy I. The initial “Pure Platinum” and “Solar Red” colorways dropped in 2012, just as sneaker culture was really starting to gain more mainstream attention. Let’s be honest though, the “Red October” that would release two years later is the crown jewel. From the time he spit the line, “Yeezys all on your sofa/These the Red Octobers,” on the Yeezus cut “Hold My Liquor,” the hype train ran wild. The release almost didn’t happen either as West was in the process of leaving his Nike deal for greener pastures, which made the random nike.com drop in February 2014 that much more monumental. The Air Yeezy II is still the ultimate grail for many collectors and was the perfect send off to West’s time at Nike. —Mike DeStefano