Many would say that thanks to Ye, the entire landscape of the footwear industry shifted in terms of collaborations, designs, and marketing. Since Nike was not able to offer the multi-hyphenate star a royalty deal or the freedom to design a wide range of silhouettes, his talents took their way to The Three Stripes where his YEEZY empire has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar brand, showcasing that one does not need to be an athlete and can introduce wild concepts to be successful as a collaborator. With his recent displeasure of the German sportswear giant over claims of the adidas Adilette 22 being a “fake Yeezy”, does adidas need to look for more creatives to retain the attention that Ye has brought?

The company has a long-standing history of collaborating with brands and individuals across the spectrum, though their latest may be equally as creative and innovative as Ye has been. That’s where Mr. Bailey steps in, an independent footwear designer who actually can tie his success to the Yeezy Brand via the director of Yeezy Lab, claiming that they are “…the reason I got back into footwear.” Previously working with The Three Stripes on an adidas Superstar that takes design cues from marine life, his upcoming adidas Ozlucent continues the marine influence all the way down to its packaging.

The Ozlucent silhouette comes in a high-top form reminiscent of something that would make its way out of the Yeezy Brand, organic, futuristic, and boundary-pushing. Starting with the packaging, the case in which the pair of kicks are housed is constructed out of mushrooms while the included bag is a combo of sugar cane and cellulose. Once free from this natural packaging, you’ll find a three-piece mold-constructed PU silhouette in a stealthy black shade, molded with organic shape cutouts throughout the sneaker. A neoprene internal bootie acts as the sockliner once on foot, providing a snug and comfortable fit with the midsole’s AdiPLUS cushioning providing support underfoot.

With the launch of the Mr. Bailey x adidas Ozlucent, Bailey’s OZMORPHIS development series will begin which is set to encompass a variety of adidas silhouettes and new ones courtesy of the man behind this innovative design. As the development series goal is to “understand aquatic life forms and how natural engineering systems can influence the latest footwear technology”, we are sure to see more marine-inspired footwear in the future.

As of now, no solid release date is planned for the Ozlucent, but expect the silhouette to launch in 2022 through adidas and possibly through Mr. Bailey’s online webstore. Keep your notifications on through our social media channels to stay updated on the latest from both Yeezy Brand and more innovative footwear across the entire industry.