Official: Nike Air Yeezy 2

Sneakerheads can finally breathe a sigh of relief: the Nike Air Yeezy 2 has an official release date. Forging a new form of sport craftsmanship, the highly anticipated second installment of the Nike Air Yeezy blends classic Nike performance breakthroughs with the aesthetic demands to match.

A primal, tactile approach to technology runs throughout every element of the Nike Air Yeezy 2. Armored animalistic forms imbue the upper. Hand skived anaconda textured leather quarter panels are embellished with a debossed Vac-Tech Nike Swoosh. The molded rear is sculpted with a reptilian inspired spike, while an engineered strap with scaled down spikes was developed to offer a greater sense of symmetry and lock down.

Bringing the inspiration forward from the late 1980s basketball foundation of the original Nike Air Yeezy, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 is built on the Nike Air Tech Challenge II tennis shoe outsole and celebrates iconic Nike Cross Training silhouettes with the addition of the molded forefoot strap.

There’s absolute function at the shoe’s core. Unnecessary padding was eliminated, and the foot-hugging tongue and plush collar are both comfortable and breathable. Fit was essential to the design with the goal to make the shoe slimmer than the original by tailoring it to Kanye‘s actual foot. The collar was also lowered to allow for greater movement.

An obsessive approach to materials results in a luxurious mix of leather, rugged ballistic nylon and soft nubuck. Concealed but opulent details reference ancient civilizations, including a loop strap with hieroglyphics that spell out “YZY.” Each screw on lace aglet is obelisk shaped, and the anaconda texture is echoed on the eyelets and leather lace toggle that carries the Roman numeral ‘II.’

If you want to get your hands on a pair, the Nike Air Yeezy 2 in the Platinum and Black colorways will drop June 9 in limited numbers at select retailers worldwide.