Everyone’s been all over the Yeezy II, but what abou the Yeezy I? Good condition Air Yeezys can be had for about HALF the price of a Yeezy II. The Yeezy II has un-beatable buzz, but that doesn’t mean it’s the superior Yeezy.
Let’s do a quick comparison of the quality, design, wearability and comfort of each.
Quality: Yeezy I
This is the only category that really has a hands-down winner. The Yeezy I has the BEST quality I have seen from a NIKE shoe in years. Perhaps the best quality of all time. The shoe is durable, the paint is solid, the leather is buttery, the materials are lux, there’s not much better. The Yeezy 2 does have some nice lux touches, the leather is nice, the insoles are awesome, the lace tips, etc. But the Yeezy 2 is a lot more hyped up, and has more bells and whistles (those lace tips, the dust bag, etc.) and isn’t the same quality shoe the 1s are. Many pairs of the IIs are coming with small minor defects, and wearing down pretty fast. (Knock on wood, really hope I don’t jinx myself and have these 1s start to fall apart on me now.)
Design: Tie
It’s a bit absurd to compare the design of two totally different shoes and argue which is superior. They’re DIFFERENT designs. You can’t tell me a Jordan 11 is better than a Jordan 6. It’s all a matter of taste. The same applies to the Yeezys.
The Yeezy I was dominated by a futuristic design, with an emphasis on different materials and clashing qualities. Kanye himself (or maybe Mark Smith, I forget) even said the shoe was designed to resemble a futuristic space boot, and was supposed to be over the top and out of this world.
Cue to the Yeezy II on the other hand and you have a much more modest, simpler design. The shoe is smaller, and less clunky. Putting them side by side, I was surprised by how much smaler it really is. The sleeker design makes it a bit more wearable with everyday attire, and adds a splash of luxury. It seems like a natural evolution for Kanye, who’s become deeper entrenched in the fashion world.
Wearability: Yeezy II
Going back to the design, the Yeezy II is just a simpler shoe that’s easier to wear. It has subtle flash, and is pretty easy to rock. The Yeezy I dominates your outfit, but the IIs blend in a bit more. But where the IIs fall short is the material and quality makes these harder to keep clean and in pristine shape. There’s already plenty of talk about midsoles cracking, and the ‘scales’ becoming brushed back from dust and air. Yes, the IIs are easier to wear, but make sure you take care of your kicks.
Comfort: Yeezy II
Have you ever slipped these on your foot? It’s like a leather cushion laced with a tempurpedic mattress. It’s the ultimate comfort, with leather insoles that seem to almost arch and conform to your feet. If Kanye ever wants to design slippers, I’ll give him my full support
Glow: Yeezy II
Everyone asks. Yes, the IIs glow better. But to be fair, the originals glow pretty damn good. The Yeezy 1s definitely glow better than the Lebron 9 big bangs and Kobe 7 Galaxys, and are fairly comparable to the KD IV Galaxies. But the 2s, they’re on a whole other level.
Verdict: Make you’re own decisions
I couldn’t tell you which I honestly like better. They’re both different animals, with different qualities. I see myself wearing the 2s more, but still being a bit more WOW’ed by the 1s. In terms of value, I can tell you that I wouldn’t drop $1600 on a pair of 2s when you can get 1s for half that price if you know where to look.
In only 3 years, Kanye took a pretty far departure from his original model. Who know’s where he’ll go with the Yeezy 3. It’s only a matter of time before “Yeezy 3” news and rumors start swirling. Kanye himself tweeted his partnership with Nike “allows” him to design a shoe every 3 years. Maybe I’ll be the first and hype it up with a “Coming in 2015” post soon.
contemporary sole 