Kanye West's infamous sock shoe worth $200 gets trolled online

Kanye West aka Ye is once again stirring the pot with his latest footwear creation. The recent launch of his YZY POD shoes has sparked a storm of criticism, with fans aiming at the shoe’s striking resemblance to socks and its high price tag.

In a social media announcement, West introduced the YZY POD as the "foldable future of footwear," with a pre-sale price tag of $200, urging fans to "accept no imitations." However, this bold move was met with sharp backlash from fans.

"YE $200 for a sock is crazy," said one user, while others humorously questioned whether the price was for a single sock or a pair. 

"Who is paying [$200] for a pair of socks lol," another wrote.

Criticism also extended to the unconventional sizing offered by West, featuring sizes 1, 2, and 3 for the "foldable" shoes, leaving consumers baffled and seeking clarification on how these sizes corresponded to standard measurements.

"What does size 1 2 3 mean?," a fan inquired, with another netizen tweeting, "I was deada** gonna order a pair but I need to know how the sizes work. Please break it down bru."

Amidst the pricing and sizing chaos, representatives for West remained tight-lipped and didn't address the mounting queries and criticisms.

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Meanwhile, former YEEZY lawyer and Sneaker Law professor, Kenneth Anand, spoke to Page Six and defended West's pricing strategy, highlighting the costs associated with producing quality independent brand products. Anand suggested that West's pricing might actually be more reasonable compared to similar offerings from luxury brands like Vetements and Balenciaga, which retail at significantly higher prices.

"People who are criticizing the price on the Yeezy sock shoes may not understand the high cost of making quality products, especially for independent brands," Kenneth Anand stated.

"By comparison, luxury brands Vetements and Balenciaga are both selling extremely similar, if not identical, sock shoes; the Yeezy models are cheaper by about $400 or more, so arguably Kanye could have raised his price." 

This is West's first product drop since Adidas terminated his contract in October 2022 because of his antisemitic remarks. "Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech," the athletic company said at the time. "Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness."