Video: Kanye West Talks Air Jordans, Sneaker Design & Inspiration

Kanye West isn’t just a rapper, but rather an artist who has a burning interest in many different cultural channels. One of those other avenues is his well-documented passion for fashion, which includes sneakers. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Kanye rapped about his interest in clothing and footwear, and why he invests so much into it. He speaks of his days drawing sneakers in grade school, his vision for his Nike Air Yeezy and Nike Air Yeezy 2 signatures, and why Nikes are so powerful.

Watch Ye’s interview in its entirety below, and click through and read the transcribed tidbits that include sneaker snippets. Tell us what you thought of his words in the comment box, and keep Nice Kicks bookmarked for everything sneakers.

Kanye West: “I’ve got a very particular, specific take on men’s footwear. No one can say I cannot design or understand how to design a guy’s sneaker. When I was in 4th grade, I was drawing Jordans. When my Momma couldn’t afford them, I was drawing those Jordans – getting kicked out of class for drawing them. And when I got that opportunity to work with Nike, I went into that emotional space and place in my life and said, ‘What was it about that, what were the cues that I can add when I make the Yeezys?’ I wasn’t the one rapper that had the opportunity to do a shoe with Nike for no reason. It means it has to be another step, it means it has to keep going. People didn’t love the Yeezys the way they did for no reason. Picture this, for me to do the Yeezys and not have a joint venture backing deal with Nike the next day would have been like if I made ‘Jesus Walks’ and was never allowed to make an album.”

Image via Individual Sole

Kanye West: “I’m not trying to get into (the high fashion) world. I’m trying to make a higher level of product for the REAL world. Because people say that life isn’t fair, and unless you’re Kanye West, or your parents had money, you don’t get to wear Versace all the time. The only thing about it that’s different with Nike, is there’s never a time when someone can walk in with some non-Nikes and you feel less in yourself. You still feel like the greatest version of you when you have those Nikes on.”