Kanye West Calls Out Nike for Alleged Design Theft Amid Kim Kardashian’s Partnership Announcement

Kanye West has once again taken to social media to air his grievances—this time, accusing Nike of stealing his sneaker designs. The outburst, which comes just as his ex-wife Kim Kardashian announced a major partnership with the sportswear giant, has sparked fresh controversy in the ongoing saga of Ye versus the fashion industry.

Kanye West vs. Nike: A New Feud?

On Tuesday (February 18), West posted a sarcastic critique of Nike’s upcoming GT Future sneaker, implying that the brand had copied elements of his Yeezy designs. Sharing images of the shoe on Instagram, he wrote:

“THIS NEW NIKE DESIGN REALLY MOVED US / REALLY INSPIRED US AT YEEZY WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORK TO THE TEAM TEAM BEHIND THESE THANK FOR MAKING SOMETHING NEW AND SPECIAL, LOVE YE.”

Despite their past collaborations, Nike has not responded to West’s comments. The rapper famously designed the Air Yeezy line with Nike in the late 2000s and early 2010s before leaving to partner with Adidas, citing creative differences and financial disagreements.

Timing Coincidence? Kim Kardashian Joins Forces with Nike

Ye’s post notably coincided with Kim Kardashian’s announcement of NikeSKIMS, a collaboration between her shapewear brand SKIMS and Nike. The deal, which is set to launch this spring, aims to revolutionize activewear with a focus on functionality and body sculpting.

“Introducing NikeSKIMS. A new brand coming this spring for the body obsessed. Designed to sculpt and engineered to perform,” Kardashian shared on Instagram.

Adding fuel to the fire, she also posted an image of her Nike employee badge, symbolizing her alignment with the company. Whether intentional or not, the timing of Ye’s outburst raised speculation that his frustration may stem from more than just sneaker designs.

West’s History of Calling Out Sportswear Brands

While Nike is his latest target, Adidas has historically borne the brunt of West’s fashion industry feuds. After Adidas cut ties with him in 2022 following his antisemitic remarks, he has repeatedly accused the company of sabotage, financial suppression, and design theft.

Earlier this year, Ye blasted Adidas for allegedly manipulating search engine rankings to direct traffic away from his Yeezy brand.

“When you google Yeezy.com the adidas site comes before the Yeezy site. Members at adidas stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back,” he wrote on Instagram.

West’s frustrations with Adidas date back even before his fallout, as he has long accused the company of copying his work while controlling his creative output.

With his ongoing sneaker war and unpredictable social media rants, it’s unclear what West’s next move will be. He recently announced his upcoming album Bully, set for release in June, and continues to expand his Yeezy brand despite past controversies.

Whether Nike will respond to his latest accusations or simply let the controversy die down remains to be seen. But one thing is certain—Kanye West is far from done making waves in both the music and fashion industries.