Is the Yeezy Resale Market Dead?

Yeezy resale prices have dipped significantly over the last six months, is it simply a blip on the radar or a sign of things to come?

If you’ve been in the market for a pair of Yeezys but never thought you’d get the chance to cop because real world bills come first and you love warm water — the tides may be turning in your favour, friend.

Slide over to StockX and you’ll find two recently released pairs of Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2s — the “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint” colourways — with a lowest asking price in the $300 range. To the average shopper, that price tag still might be a little out of whack for a glorified running shoe with some nice foam on the bottom, but it’s actually a pretty big come-up for sneakerheads worldwide.

Consider this, the Yeezy colourway that preceded the “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint” by mere days was the “Semi Frozen Yellow.” That pair carries a lowest asking price of well over $600 for a deadstock pair on StockX. So what gives? Are the “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint” bummy colourways that no one wants or are there other factors to consider here?

The simple answer is quite simply a story of oversaturation. The “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint” were the most widely available Yeezys released up to that point in time and were, despite still selling out in stores, being sold at big sneaker retailers like Foot Locker and Champs. No longer were they sneaker boutique exclusives with a handful of pairs in stock, there seemed to be enough to go around to most people who were looking to cop for the holidays.

Yeezy

Here’s where it gets a little murkier. The “Semi Frozen Yellow” colourway, released around the same time as the “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint,” was not a mass release and only available at select sneaker retailers. Naturally, that meant the value of that particular pair was much higher because it wasn’t as readily available as its grey and blue peers. That’s why the “Semi Frozen Yellow” colourway is almost double the price of the “Beluga 2.0” and “Blue Tint” colourways despite being the exact same shoe in yellow with a gum bottom.

This kind of retail inconsistency in the way Yeezys are now being released is affecting the once booming resale market where sneaker shoppers could flip their once immensely in-demand grails for upwards of $800. Take it back to 2015, when the Yeezys first dropped, and have a look at the lowest asking prices on StockX for the original four colourways of the 350s: “Turtle Dove,” “Moonrock,” “Pirate Black” and “Oxford Tan.”

The “Turtle Dove” is around $1800. The “Oxford Tan” is around $1400. The “Moonrock” is around $1200. The “Pirate Black” is around $1000. Needless to say, the original colourway lineup goes for a pretty penny on the open market and despite the sneaker becoming increasingly in-demand — the resale value has gone down with almost every new release since.

Yeezy

While it might be inaccurate to say the Yeezy resale market is dead— it’s certainly taken a significant hit in recent months. Despite selling out on shelves, the number of available pairs are growing and the exclusivity that was once attached to owning a pair doesn’t carry the same prestige in 2018. Of course, Kanye and Adidas will still drop the occasional colourway that will blow people’s minds and make them shell out well beyond regular retail value, but it’ll likely still be a far cry from those first four Adidas Yeezys that are worth well over $1000 on the resale market.

If you’re Kanye and Adidas, why wouldn’t you mass produce the sneakers? They still sell out in retail shops worldwide and more pairs are in the hands of people who actually want them. It’s really a win-win either way you look at it, unless of course you were planning to make some money on eBay.

If that’s the case, you might want to try your luck waiting a few days in a Supreme lineup.  

Words by Patrick Cwiklinski – Photo by @Willy.

Hip Hop Editor