Kanye West has sparked the latest in a long series of controversies – this time sending social media into a frenzy of bewilderment over his bizarre “sock shoes”.
The 45-year-old rapper and Yeezy designer faced a barrage of teasing on Twitter and Instagram over the weekend after stepping out with his ‘wife’ Bianca Censori in Los Angeles, where he was seen modeling some very weird.
While Kanye is no stranger to pushing the envelope when it comes to his personal style, his latest accessory has quickly become one of his most controversial.
The ‘sock shoes’ in question feature a boot-like padded structure that extends along the shins to the knee – with many critics comparing them to the protective padding worn by football players – but the section that covers the foot appears to be made of nothing more than a thin sock-like material.
‘[These] These aren’t shoes, these are my football knee pads my mum sold at the last yard sale she had,” one person joked on social media, while another added, “ Just because you have money doesn’t mean you have taste.
Kanye West has come under heavy criticism on social media after stepping out in a bizarre pair of ‘sock shoes’ while enjoying a date with his ‘wife’ Bianca Censori on Saturday
The so-called ‘sock shoes’ have left social media users in awe, with many noting that they don’t appear to offer any form of protection for the soles of their feet.
Instagram and Twitter users brutally roasted the 45-year-old’s shoes, with many joking that he would get in trouble if he stepped on anything sharp or hard
Even pro wrestler Matt Cardona took aim at Kanye, joking that the rapper’s shoes looked nearly identical to the protective padding he wears to protect himself in the ring.
‘Kanye wears pads now?!’ he wrote, sharing an image of Kanye and Bianca on his social media accounts.
His post was quickly flooded with mockery from his followers, with one user writing, “Kanye 100% don’t know what they’re for.”
“Protect everything but the toes,” another person joked – drawing attention to the shoes’ lack of padding around the foot area.
Another person compared the sock shoes to the combat boots worn in the HALO video game, while someone else joked that the shoes looked like a collaboration between Star Wars character Kanye’s Yeezy brand Darth Vader and the Mandalorian and a diver.
But while Kanye was aware that his funky shoes were going to divide opinion in such a brutal way, that certainly didn’t stop him from going all out with his enthusiasm for sock shoes – the rapper even filing a trademark for ‘ YZY SOCK’. SHOES’ earlier this month, weeks before he was seen wearing them in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, Kanye filed the trademark application through his holding company, Mascotte Holdings, on May 4, describing the sock shoes in the filings as “socks with leather soles.”
The app also included various clothes, shoes, headgear, games, toys, and sporting goods.
His filing came just days after Kanye held a private show for his Yeezy Season 10 collection, titled “YZY FREE,” in Los Angeles.
The show featured bald models, with tight white shirts and black pants, and Frank Ocean’s music playing in the background, however, shoe-socks were not featured on the show.
Some fans joked that Kanye would surely be in agony if he accidentally stepped on Lego bricks while wearing his socks
Many have pointed out the similarities between Kanye’s shoes and those worn by divers, cartoon characters, and even animated video game characters.
Adidas has announced that it will sell off the rest of the Yeezy shoes worth over $1 billion that it still has in stock.
This setup would allow Kanye to get 15% of all sales.
Part of the proceeds from the profits will go to charities.
One fan was quick to defend Kanye, writing, “All laughing but soon these shoes Kanye is wearing will be all the rage!”
On Monday, Kanye was pictured again as he and Bianca were spotted heading to a gym for a workout.
However, the couple decided to drop by a Chick-fil-A location for some lunch before breaking a sweat.
West referenced the fast food restaurant in his 2019 song Closed On Sunday, which was featured on his Christian-themed album Jesus Is King.
The song was derided by critics and even some fans for its direct mentions of Chick-fil-A.
Kanye was pictured sipping a soda at the restaurant as he drove through a parking lot before reuniting with Bianca.
Hungry: On Monday, Kanye was pictured again as he and Bianca were spotted heading to a gym for a workout. However, the couple decided to drop by a Chick-fil-A location for some lunch before breaking a sweat
Big fan: West referenced the fast food restaurant in his 2019 song Closed On Sunday, which was featured on his Christian-themed album Jesus Is King. The song was derided by critics and even some fans for its direct mentions of Chick-fil-A
Leggy look: Kanye ditched the football mat-like leg covers and simply wore black leggings. Bianca wore a white tank top with no similar bra and gray leggings
Unlike on Saturday, when he was seen in his socks with his soccer cushion blankets over his legs, this time he appeared to be wearing minimally protective footwear with simple black leggings.
He had previously been mocked by fans for wearing leggings earlier in May, although it doesn’t seem like a completely new part of his fashion sense.
In 2014, the rapper was spotted with his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, and both wore matching sets of black leggings.
Kanye appeared to be wearing the same garbage bag-shaped jacket, while Bianca wore a similar white tank top with no bra, and similar gray leggings.
