The Nike Air Yeezy By Designer Mark Smith in Collaboration with Kanye West

The Air Yeezy is the first signature shoe for a non athlete produced by Nike. The shoe is the collaboration between legendary Nike designer Mark Smith and the ever innovative and controversial Kanye West. The shoe was well hyped leading up to its release just because of the names involved, but what a lot of people over-looked was an elegant, under-stated design made of premium materials that was constructed equally well.

The soft, supple perforated leather on the forefoot of the shoe is like none other that I’ve encountered on what is being deemed a “basketball” shoe but is better situated as a “lifestyle” or casual shoe.

The color blocking is very subtle on the exterior with shades of “zen grey” and “light charcoal”, but the liner of the shoe explodes with neon applications of pink and orange. This subdued exterior and vibrant, in-your-face interior is a wonderful analogy to not only the inspiration of the shoe, Kanye West, but the dynamic between its creators. The high cut of the shoe and over-sized tongue is also a throwback to the basketball shoes of the 1980s which Kanye is a fan of.

The lines are clean and few and far between. The use of large, one-piece cuts from heel to toe give the shoe a sense of being larger than life, but when it's on your foot, it loses this physical illusion of grandeur but the psychological remains. The repeated "Y" pattern that adorns the suede toe-cap and patent leather mid-foot strap take on the look of a textured material rather than the imprints they are. The shoe is clean and crisp. The vibrant colors of the well-padded and securely snug interior seem to warm your foot from their hue alone. The novelty of the shoe doesn't end with it just being a Kanye West Nike shoe. The outsoles are made of glow-in-the-dark rubber that reacts to the sun very well and appears to glow even during daylight. Something that has been done on various parts of Nikes before, but this marks the first time the entire outsole has been given the treatment and this is the best it has ever looked.

Kanye used Nike shoe history, as well as his own aspirations, vision and "Glow In The Dark Tour" to make his contribution to the shoe while Mark Smith provided his unparalleled expertise in not only design, but the process involved in design to create a truly unique and highly coveted shoe (as usual). Both had to look beyond themselves for inspiration which I find truly inspiring due to both of their lofty statuses in their respective fields. This shoe is a testament to design, not only as an aesthetically beautiful, well constructed shoe, but the design process which proves that great design is fostered in teamwork and proven in cohesive execution.