First-Ever Knockoff ‘Yeezy’ Retail Storefront Opens in China

Kanye West’s Yeezy x Adidas footwear line has witnessed paramount success and a Chinese business showed just how far brands are willing to go to get a piece of the pie. This week in Wenzhou, China, a brick-and-mortar location opened to the public, selling knockoff versions of the ever-popular Yeezy Adidas Boost shoes.

The newly-opened retail store features a neat display of faux Yeezy Adidas Boost 350 V2s sneakers, both in original and unreleased colorways, with an added customizable option. There are, however, significant differences between the shoes: the text on the upper appears as “Yeezy 550” instead of the original “SPLY-350,” as Mashable reports, and sell at a lower price point — roughly $70 less than the authentic version.

Though talk of opening Adidas x Yeezy retail locations has been mentioned, it has not yet come to fruition, and it seems that this situation will need to be legally handled before it does. “Some time ago, the relevant authorities have ruled that the Yeezy trademark, which we registered with our company, is valid,” Mr. Hu, owner of the counterfeit store.

It may be a lengthy process, but can prove to be worth the hassle to take legal action, as Michael Jordan and Under Armour have succeeded in past trademark infringement cases in similar situations against Chinese companies.