Kanye’s weird-looking ‘YZY Rose’ sneaker will hit NBA basketball courts soon

Kanye West is no stranger to odd footwear design, with his Adidas label Yeezy serving as proof. But last year, West gave us a look at a collaboration between Yeezy and NBA player Derrick Rose, who's also part of the Adidas family — and not only were the shoes ugly, but their wave-like silhouette didn’t seem fit for the basketball court, where the clogs would eventually be worn. Now, Rose and his wife Alaina have taken to Instagram with new teasers for the partnership, which has been updated with the title “YZY Rose.”

The two have previewed the unusual shoes on Instagram before, with Alaina posting a picture of herself wearing the clogs back in August. Like most Yeezy footwear, the shoes are slip-ons — something that’s great for comfort but not necessarily a fast-paced basketball game. With all-over white ridges, though, the footwear might boast some traction, and with new updates, we might see the shoes in action soon.

Ye’s weirdest design yet — Kanye first introduced the shoes in 2020 with the name "YZY D Rose,” a nod to the basketball player’s name. Promptly after sharing photos of the collaborative shoe, however, Ye was (rightfully) teased for the design, with Twitter users comparing the sole to fish bones, worms, and other less-tasteful items.

Despite the mockery, Kanye and Rose are moving forward with the project. The basketball player, along with his wife, both shared a photo of what appears to be future plans for the shoes. In the image, which looks like a slideshow sent by West, suggestions of project updates, on-court plans, and next steps are shared — seemingly confirming the ridge-like shoes would make it on-foot to NBA courts.

Rose also shared a lengthy Instagram caption to go along with his post, detailing his first meeting with the Yeezy team and what working with Kanye means to him. “[Kanye] represents Black Opulence and we love Ye for that and always will,” Rose wrote in his post. “People hate on him but deeeeeep down you know it's inspiring. Peace and love King.”

Nothing but net — Truly, it is inspiring to see Kanye continue to roll out weird footwear designs, despite the haters. Even his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, hasn’t stopped promoting Yeezy throughout their divorce. Whether it’s the Yeezus mindset, or full-on aloofness, West has created a massive empire with Adidas — and though we hate to admit it, these shoes will probably sell out just as quickly as his other silhouettes.

Rose seems to have a lot of faith in Kanye, but only time will tell if the odd-shaped clogs actually work as basketball shoes. Ye will probably have to add more traction to the slip-on shoes, along with arch support. Of course, as long as the clog boasts Yeezy’s name, we’re sure it’ll do just fine.