words // Brennan Hiro Williams
The road to the Nike Air Yeezy 2 has spanned over a year and a half, starting with rumors and sneak peeks, culminating with today's long lines and raffle madness. When all is said and done, how will the Yeezy 2 be remembered? Is it an instant classic?
Many classic sneakers are memorable for particular moments -- all-star weekends, feature films, dunk contests, championships, first games and last shots.
Kanye West isn't an athlete, but he, along with the help of his friends, still managed to provide several great moments that will collectively define the Yeezy 2.
Let's take a look back at the timeline.
KANYE TEASES AIR YEEZY 2 IN KOBE BRYANT IS...THE BLACK MAMBA
In February of 2011, Kanye West starred as "The Boss" in Kobe Bryant Is...The Black Mamba, a short by Robert Rodriguez for the Nike Zoom Kobe VI. Message boards went wild when Kanye, making his hilarious cameo, appeared wearing a mysterious new shoe, rumored to be the Yeezy 2.
THE AIR YEEZY 2 DEBUTS AT COACHELLA 2011
Building on the success of his critically acclaimed fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye hit the stage at Coachella 2011 for a memorable live performance. After a wardrobe change, fans got their first closeup view of the Yeezy 2 as West closed his set wearing his (in)famous red suit and his newest Nike collaboration.
KANYE DEBUTS WOLF GREY AIR YEEZY 2 AT THE 2011 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS
Promoting the release of the new Watch The Throne album, Kanye and Jay-Z performed the first single, "Otis," at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. West used the opportunity to debut the second colorway of the Yeezy 2. Explaining the significance of the moment for the shoe, West's associate Virgil Abloh commented, "Y'all know award shows are like playoffs in the Jordan era."
KANYE WEST AND JAY-Z PERFORM AT THE 2011 VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOW
In the fall of 2011, West previewed the Yeezy 2 for a national television audience on CBS at the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Kanye and Jay-Z performed more hits from Watch The Throne, and while not everyone was looking at the shoes, it was another memorable moment that built even more energy for the shoe.
PUBLIC APPEARANCES OF THE YEEZY 2
With a little help from Kanye's friends, the Yeezy 2 appeared in several more iconic moments during 2012: the announcement of the Philadelphia Music Festival, Jay-Z moving the Nets to Brooklyn, the West/Kardashian clash of the titans, and maybe...just maybe...LeBron James' first title run.
WATCH THE THRONE TOUR
By far the biggest moment for the Nike Air Yeezy 2 was the shoe's inclusion in the Watch The Throne Tour, a multi-city spectacle put on by Kanye, Jay-Z and Live Nation. From extravagant set designs to eleven consecutive performances of the same song, the WTT Tour will go down as one of the biggest in hip-hop history, and the Yeezy 2 was there for its entirety.
