• All Glow-in-the-Dark Air Yeezy Spotted at “Back for the Future”

Nike designer Tiffany Beers wore an all glow-in-the-dark pair of the first Air Yeezy shoe at Friday’s Nike Mag “Back for the Future” auction at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. The glow-in-the-dark prototype was originally featured in Issue 29 of Sole Collector magazine. If you recall, the black Air Yeezys that Kanye West wore at the 2008 Grammy Awards covered this issue. It’s clear that there are certain elements of the Nike Mag that influenced Kanye’s shoe, and Beers, who worked on both sneakers, chose an appropriate event to showcase this seldom seen Air Yeezy prototype.

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• Nike Air Yeezy Process

Keeping up with all their behind the scenes features of the making of the Nike Air Yeezy, Sole Collector reveals the process that went on between Nike, specifically Mark Smith and Tiffany Beers, and Kanye West to create one of the most sought-after shoes in the history of sneaker culture. Regarding how they went about the Air Yeezy project, Beers said,

It’s all part of the process in the IK (Innovation Kitchen). We didn’t do the formal meetings or presentations; we didn’t have time. We just cranked things out, interruptions and all. As few folks do, Kanye got to see firsthand a couple days in the life of the Innovation Kitchen. It’s busy; it’s scattered; it’s crazy, and it’s a ton of fun, while still making a bunch of cool stuff.”

After 2 years, multiple revisions and samples, and brainstorming sessions with Kanye, the Nike Air Yeezy evolved in front of their very own eyes. It’s always interesting to discover the labor of love that goes into any project. To truly understand the motives and inspirations behind the creation of the Air Yeezy, it’s important to educate yourself with the behind the scenes aspect. I am fortunate enough to own 2 out of the 3 Yeezys, and being aware of its history and background surely makes me appreciate the pair of shoes even more.

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