The sample sits in a black and dark grey colorway that wasn’t part of the original Nike Air Yeezy 2 retail lineup. The two colorways that did release in 2012 were “Solar Red” and “Pure Platinum.” This blacked-out version never made it to market, which makes it a genuinely rare piece of sneaker history.

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The shoe still has its original hangtag attached, which suggests it came directly from a Nike sample room or someone who was involved in the development process. The red insole is one of the more interesting details. It contrasts sharply with the all-black exterior and wasn’t something that showed up on the retail versions.

The Nike Air Yeezy 2 is already one of the most valuable sneakers in the collector market even without unreleased samples entering the conversation. Kanye’s split from Nike in 2013 to sign with Adidas turned the entire Nike Yeezy catalog into a closed chapter.

The Nike Air Yeezy 2 originally released in June 2012 in just two colorways. Both sold out almost immediately and became some of the most resold sneakers of that era.

Kanye West designed the shoe alongside Mark Smith at Nike, and the final product reflected a lot of his aesthetic interests at the time, including premium materials, reptile textured uppers, and an oversized silhouette.

The shoe features a python-embossed upper, a midfoot strap with a Nike logo, a glow-in-the-dark outsole, and a distinctive jagged heel counter. The overall shape is bulky and sculptural compared to most other Nike silhouettes from the same period.