How Adidas' Yeezy shoe captured the hearts of China's youth

China is the running-shoe factory of the world and the second largest sportswear market globally.In the past, the big international sports brands like Nike and Adidas were the dominant forces, able to charge top whack for their constantly evolving trainers while copycat local brands played catch-up.But nowadays, the small domestic firms are snapping at the heels of their bigger rivals, managing to emulate their latest technologies and designs more quickly and efficiently, and gaining in popularity. Their growing market share has forced the more established players to up their game and innovate in a market where millennials - people aged 23 to 38 - are willing to spend big on premium consumer goods.buy Yeezy 700 Static discount with best price
German sportswear giant Adidas managed to pull this off in spectacular fashion in recent years with its Yeezy footwear range, a collaboration with the American rapper Kanye West.The limited edition Yeezy collections went viral among mainland China's youth, despite the eyewatering price tag of US$200 (S$270) upwards.Riding on its success, the company is determined to maintain its lustre among young consumers by tirelessly launching innovative new trainers, often in limited edition format.
"This year, we'll have more than 20 launches. Some of the launches will be in high volume and some will be very scarce," said Kasper Rorsted, chief executive of Adidas in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post. "We see our Yeezy shoe predominantly as a brand builder to get excitement around the brand, whether it's in our store or online."
Fashion-conscious millennials were captivated by the stripped down, ready-to-wear style of Yeezy, which drew on military clothing and flesh-toned colours.On the black market, a pair of genuine Yeezy shoes can easily sell for three to five times the retail prices.Unlike any shoe Adidas had ever produced before, and not even bearing the trademark three stripes, the Yeezy range seemed to breathe fresh life into an older brand.Adidas is currently the leader in the Chinese sportswear market, where sales have topped 200 billion yuan (S$40.5 billion) a year.

A clutch of luxury brands have also been launching sportswear products such as Balenciaga's Triple S sneaker to strike a chord with affluent mainland youngsters."Unlike older generations, millennials are more heavily influenced by what they consider to be cool than by brand names or product pricing," global consultancy Bain & Co said in a recent report.