Shortly after NFL star Michael Vick was indicted in July 2007 for running a dog fighting operation, Nike suspended the release of his signature shoe line. Vick went on to plead guilty and have his contract suspended, but less clear is what exactly happened to all those sneakers.
Nike would not say, but industry analyst Matt Powell believes it destroyed its supply of Air Zoom Vick Vs.
Adidas now has a similar dilemma with its Yeezy line, observers say, except on a scale unseen in the fashion industry. Months after cutting ties with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West over his flagrant antisemitism, the German company on Feb. 9 warned it was looking at massive losses if it couldn’t sell its inventory, raising questions about its options for the now-tainted brand, including literally