The 10 Best adidas and Yeezy Sneakers of 2021
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By Stadium Goods |The 10 Best adidas and Yeezy Sneakers of 2021
The very best releases of the year from The Three Stripes and Kanye West.
Matt DeSciora
Kanye West is the most tireless man in sneakers. No matter what’s going on in his personal life, whether he’s preparing for an album release or a fashion show—or even running for President of the United States—he always finds time to work on his adidas Yeezy line. And the proof is in the pudding. No sooner does a Yeezy shoe release, than a new colorway of that shoe, a variation of the same shoe, or a completely new and unexpected shoe altogether, comes to the forefront of sneaker hype.
Indeed, West and adidas debuted several transformative Yeezys in 2021. And it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Ye’s work ethic inspired adidas to up its output this year, as well. Within the last twelve months, the brand unveiled a new partnership with international recording artist Bad Bunny, rekindled its decades-long collaboration with BAPE, and doubled down on its popular collaborations with Pharrell Williams.
Like Kanye, adidas was busy in 2021. And you likely were, too, seeing how life slowly returned to the “normal” we’re all accustomed to as the year progressed. If you missed any of these releases, or would like to take a quick stroll down memory lane one more time, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of some of the best adidas sneakers of 2021 all right here.
Bad Bunny x adidas Forum Buckle Low “The First Cafe”
One of the best new sneaker collaborations of the year, the Bad Bunny x adidas contingency helped (re)introduce a vintage basketball shoe to the masses while celebrating the Puerto Rican rapper’s personal life at the same time. The adidas Forum Buckle Low “The First Cafe” is one of three new, upscale colorways of the retro performance hoops shoe co-created by Bad Bunny, the others being the “Easter” and “Black to School,” and adidas’s only sneaker of 2021 dedicated to a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
BAPE x adidas Superstar “Green Camo”
BAPE has collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, KAWS, Marvel Comics, and more, on iconic sneaker colorways over the course of its existence. But its collections with adidas just might be the benchmark of BAPE’s footwear partnerships. Earlier this year, the Japanese streetwear brand renewed its love for the adidas Superstar, the shoe chosen by BAPE founder NIGO to kick off its collaboration with adidas in 2003, by dressing it in its iconic green camouflage pattern. Just like the OG BAPE x adidas Superstar, the modern incarnation brings a street-oriented look to a timeless sneaker—a combination that won’t soon go out of style.
adidas Yeezy Knit Runner “Sulfur”
No sneaker design has ever elaborated on already existing sneaker styles like Kanye West. Need proof? This year, Ye debuted the adidas Yeezy Knit Runner in “Sulfur,” a slip-on shoe based largely on the adidas Yeezy Foam Runner that’s constructed entirely of a knitted textile material. Impossibly futuristic, the Yeezy Knit Runner is basically a sock you can wear outside of your house, featuring an ultra thin rubber sole with a herringbone traction pattern. For his next trick, West quickly released the adidas Yeezy Knit Runner Boot in “Sulfur,” a hybrid shoe that combines the Knit Runner’s lower body with the upper of the new, weeks-old adidas Yeezy Insulated Boot, in yet another mind-blowing maneuver. What two adidas Yeezys will Kanye, the mad scientist of sneakers, mash up next?
Three years is a long time to wait for anything, even a sneaker designed by Kanye West. But fans of Yeezys have grown accustomed to having their patience tested and, as is almost always the case, the wait is worth it in the end. There may be no better example than the adidas Yeezy 450, a sock-like shoe with an aggressive, sculpted midsole that West was seen wearing as far back as three years ago. Finally released earlier this year, the 450 combines several core Yeezy design elements into one sleek, modern shoe, and is endlessly wearable in colorways like the original “Cloud White” and “Dark Slate,” seen here. See? Patience is a virtue.
adidas Yeezy Foam Runner MXT “Moon Grey”
Despite debuting in 2020, the adidas Yeezy Foam Runner didn’t really catch on with sneaker collectors until this year. What could be the cause for the somewhat delayed response to the shoe that cross pollinates a sneaker with a sandal? Who knows, other than us sneaker folks can be a fickle bunch, sometimes. No matter, the Yeezy Foam Runner was one of the most popular Yeezy models of the year, with colorways like the “MXT Moon Grey” bringing a new look to the casual shoe worn by Yeezy disciples in places far beyond the beach.
adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “MX Oat”
Just when it seemed like there couldn’t possibly be another way to modify the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 any differently than before, adidas and Kanye West dropped the shoe’s “MX Oat” colorway in October. The marbled look blends red, blue, orange, and yellow swirls on an oat-colored Primeknit base, which is a departure from the 350 V2’s traditional layered look that has prevailed on so many classic styles.
The slip-on-style footwear movement that percolated in 2020 boiled over in 2021, with models like the adidas Yeezy Foam Runner and adidas Yeezy Slide the beneficiary of the trend. You could catch colorways like the Yeezy Slide “Glow” in the streets just as easily as you could poolside or at the beach, making it one of adidas’s top releases of the year.
adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Mono Ice”
Nothing keeps a sneaker collector more determined than having to hunt down a regional-specific colorway. In June, adidas sent Yeezy savants on a scavenger hunt when it released the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Mono Pack,” a collection of three monochromatic colorways of the lifestyle shoe in a modified design that features a semi-see-through upper made from monofilament mesh. As far as where the three “Mono” colorways launched, the “Mono Ice” was a North America, Latin America, and China exclusive, while the “Mono Clay” arrived in Asia Pacific and China, and the “Mono Mist” touched down in Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, and China.
After launching the original adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Wave Runner” in 2017, Kanye West and adidas released the “dad shoe” in a collection of neutral-based colorways, and then moved onto other 700 variations like the 700 V2, 700 V3, and 700 MNVN thereafter. In January, the duo brought back the original Yeezy Boost 700 in the same multicolor look popularized by the “Wave Runner” when it dropped the “Sun” colorway. The design would be succeeded by other iterations of the shoe inspired by the “Wave Runner” in one way or another, including the “Wash Orange” and “Enflame Amber,” each a worthy tribute to perhaps Kanye’s most influential sneaker design of all time.
adidas Yeezy Boost 700 MNVN “Honey Flux”
The adidas Yeezy Boost 700 MNVN debuted in a big way in 2019, becoming the first 700 sneaker with branding on its design. By 2020, the 700 MNVN was established as the next evolution in adidas Yeezy footwear due to its sleek, athleisure-inspired appearance, a design style that West would apply to debuting models around that time, including the adidas Yeezy Quantum. In September, the 700 MNVN added a new “Honey Flux” colorway to its collection that features the same earth tone vibe as so many great Yeezys, making it one of the best adidas releases of 2021.