The NFL did not hesitate to crack down on the hype that was created when Adidas hooked up a few players with Yeezy cleats for Week 1 games. Von Miller had posted pictures of his all white Yeezy 750 Boost cleats before the Broncos Vs. Panthers game during week 1. Kanye West‘s sneaker-turned-cleat named The Yeezy Boost has been seen to resale for upwards of $2000. While Von Miller wore the cleats during warmups, he chose to not wear them during the game.
While Von Miller opted out of wearing the one of a kind kicks during actual gameplay, Houston Texans DeAndre Hopkins went all in and sported the cleats during their game against the Bears. Hopkins rocked the colorful cleats for the Texans win against the Bears, but if the NFL has anything to do with it, it will be the last time.
The NFL has banned the cleats, fined Hopkins and will fine any other player a whopping $6,000 for wearing the cleats. The league has cited a rule stating cleats must have a solid base color, in an attempt to justify the ban on the cleats. DeAndre Hopkins told reporters that he would wear the cleats again, only if Kanye West would pay the fine. Adidas may already be ahead of him on this. Rumors have surfaced stating that Adidas may foot the bill for the players choosing to wear the cleats.
While this may seem like a lot of money to spend, the publicity following this ban will more than make up for this, especially when the 350 and 750 Boost hits store shelves, retailing for up to $300 this fall.
Compare this to the time the NBA banned the Jordan 1 sneaker, and the credibility it gained from that. This may prove to be a really effective marketing strategy in the sneaker game.