Today I’m comparing the Adidas Yeezy Slide vs Adidas Adilette 22.
The summer battle for slide dominance is on. Interestingly enough, it’s between two slides from the same brand.
I know the question that’s on everyone’s mind is “how do the Adidas Adilettes compare to the Yeezy Slides?
So in this comparison, I’m going to be talking about:
- The similarities.
- The differences.
- Pros and cons of the Yeezy Slide and Adilette 22.
- Which one of these two slides is best for you.
So, do the new Adilettes 22 live up to the hype or are they just a blatant Yeezy rip-off?
Let’s find out…
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Adidas Yeezy Slide vs Adidas Adilette 22
As a longtime fan of the Adilette Slides, I’m excited that they’re elevating and creating something completely different.
It sounds like the inspiration from the topography of Mars is definitely the reason why we ended up on these colors, but I can see why people would think that they’re Yeezy-esque because all the Yeezy shoes are kind of Mars colors.
I believe all of the hype and the attention brought towards the Adilette 22 is simply due to the fact that they do definitely resemble the Yeezy Slide.
I guess if it wasn’t for the Yeezy Slide, I feel like the Adilettes 22 wouldn’t really get a lot of hype.
Compared to the Yeezy Slides, although the look is there, the comfort and sizing are completely different.
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Kanye West & Adidas Drama
If you’re reading this comparison, you’re probably pretty familiar with the drama between Kanye West and Adidas. Kanye West actually accused Adidas of blatantly copying his Yeezy Slides.
He posted on Instagram that the Adilatte 22 is a fake Yeezy made straight from Adidas. He’s not happy about Adidas’ creation and he thinks they are straight up biting what he did.
But this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen Adidas do something of this nature. The Adidas Tubular obviously inspired to be a more affordable alternative version of the 350v1. They even have a high top version most definitely made to look like the 750.
Brands do this from time to time and what they’re really trying to do is capitalize the hype of their more popular models and then give consumers a more affordable alternative version.
A lot of these hype releases are more limited and so I can’t really knock Adidas for doing this, but they have to pay some respect for Kanye.
In all seriousness, I do think that there are some inspirational cues from his Yeezy Slides, but I think that the Adilette is also its own creative beast.
I love the shape and design of what Adidas created with the Adilette 22 and I feel like it’s a proper move from Adidas to basically make sort of a knockdown version of the popular model that Kanye has.
The Urban Outfitters’ fake Yeezy Slides are way more closer to a fake Yeezy Slide than the Adilette 22. Also, H&M are doing the same thing and I think Kanye should be more mad at those guys as well.
I do feel that Kanye has a sense of entitlement that far exceeds what is actually owed and that’s just him in general and no matter what he does.
But at the end of the day, he is who he is, he does some pretty incredible stuff, and you can’t knock the man for expressing himself.
The good thing with the Adilettes compared to the Yeezy Slides is I don’t think people are going to get these stuck on their feet like the Yeezy Slides because the opening upfront is a little bit bigger.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, some people are just getting the Yeezy Slides stuck because they slide through them, and then they literally can’t get them off their ankles (see video below).
The Yeezy Slide is a one-piece construction and also sort of a minimal and oversized slide. Yes, in a lot of ways, that’s pretty much exactly what the Adidas Adilette 22 is, but also they’re both slides and they both look like slides.
I don’t think any of these shoes are really groundbreaking.
The Adidas Adilette 22 comes in colors that are very reminiscent of other Yeezy Slides and Yeezy shoes, but at the same time, it’s green and tan.
There’s a lot of green and tan slides out there. Maybe not in the same sort of mixed or marbleized way that these are, but there are a lot of green and tan slides out there.
And while Kanye West does have some of the most popular green and tan slides out there, it’s not like he has ownership over any specific color.
What I will say is I do think it is a little bit weird that Adidas didn’t consult him and talk to him about creating a shoe that is in a lot of ways a budget version of his shoe, but at the same time they don’t have to.
They’re the bigger brand, they’re the ones who have him signed to a contract, they’re the ones who control, and so they can really do whatever they want.
But personally, I do see where Kanye is coming from and I also would be kind of offended if I was in his position.
All that being said though, let’s find out which one of these two slides is actually the best.
Let’s start things off with the price point…
Which shoe is more affordable?
The brand-new Adidas Adilette 22 comes in at a pretty hefty retail price of $55.
On the other side, we’ve got the Adidas Yeezy Slide which initially released at $55 but now has a retail price of $60 at the time of writing this comparison.
The Adidas Adilette 22 is going to release on June 23rd. There’s been a very small limited run of these shoes released through the Adidas App, but that’s about it.
Because of that, the only way to grab a pair of these shoes is by paying resale.
However, a few months after the release of these shoes, I think this shoe should be pretty easy to find on store shelves and probably also on Adidas’ website.
However, when it comes to the Adidas Yeezy Slide, even though this shoe has a very similar retail price to that of the Adilette 22, the problem is this shoe is incredibly difficult to get.
In fact, if you’re not able to win a raffle for this shoe on the Adidas Confirmed App or through a local boutique, your chances of getting these for retail are slim to none.
In fact, I’ve literally never been able to grab a pair of these for retail. I honestly paid resale for every pair that I have.
The Adidas Yeezy Slide is really only accessible to people who can drop $150 to $200 for a pair of slides, which, in my opinion, is way too much money.
I know I’m a hypocrite because I’ve bought multiple of these slides for resale, but seriously $150 to $200 is way too much for a pair of slides.
So, in the pricing and availability battle between the Adidas Adilette 22s and the Yeezy Slides, the Adilettes win hands down.
And even if you have to grab a pair of the Adilette for resale, the resale price isn’t that crazy. It’s like $80 which sure is 25 more than the retail price, but it could be worse.
Now, let’s get into the design…
Related:
Which shoe is better in terms of design?
Yeezy Slides
Since the Adidas Yeezy Slide released back in 2019, this shoe has become incredibly popular and a lot of that has to do with the design.
According to Kanye, the design of this shoe is heavily inspired by Japanese footwear and it also comes in a very minimal and almost monolithic form.
I mean this shoe is instantly recognizable.
Even though there are tons of fakes out there and people copying this shoe, when you see a pair of Yeezy Slides, unless you’re completely not in the know, you know exactly what that shoe is.
While this design might not be for everybody, you can’t deny the fact this shoe has a very simple and clean look that’s really easy to match with pretty much anything.
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Adilette 22
In 2022, Adidas decided to completely redesign one of their top-selling products giving it a very interesting, futuristic, and polarizing look.
The design is relatively similar to the Yeezy Slide being a one-piece foam, but the Adilettes have this Minecraft vibe to them.
I can also say that the Adilette 22 looks like a mix between a Yeezy Slide and a Salehe Bembury Crocs Pollex.
Besides the obvious design differences, perhaps the coolest feature about the Adilette 22 has to be that it is entirely 3D printed.
It is made using completely natural and renewable materials, which is part of Adidas’ push to reduce its carbon footprint.
Again, the Adilatte 22 looks nothing like the previous version and that’s because Adidas look to outer space in order to get inspiration for this design.
According to Adidas, the inspiration came from human expeditions to Mars. It even says on their website that what they were trying to do with this pair is answer the question “What would slides look like in space?”.
So they came up with a pair that looks like seismic waves. Each of these waves is raised giving it a unique look and a very rugged type of feel.
I’ve got to say that this slide is definitely out there. This is not a slide that everyone will love. But personally, I think the Adilette 22 is really cool.
I love 3D printing and it really looks like it’s been 3D printed, which I thought was a really cool aesthetic before I heard about the whole Mars typography thing.
And if you’re going for a very eye-catching piece of footwear, this is not a bad way to go.
The colorways of the Adilette are also pretty similar to Yeezys coming with a lot of earth tones.
So, if I were to pick one of these shoes based on the overall design, I would have to go with the Adidas Yeezy Slides not only because, in my opinion, it’s a more wearable shoe, but because I think this shoe will stand the test of time.
I think they could release the shoe a decade or two decades down the road and it would still be relatively in fashion
The Yeezy Slide is inspired by something that’s thousands of years old, whereas the Adilette 22 has a very specific inspiration and one that I don’t think will always be in vogue.
So, design-wise, I’m giving the edge to the Yeezy Slide.
Now, let’s talk about comfort…
Which shoe is more comfortable?
What’s interesting about these two shoes is that they’re both made of injected EVA foam. However, they both feel very different on foot.
Adilette 22
The Adilette 2 uses a different material than the Cloud Foam on the original Adilette slides. The Cloud Foam is much softer than the injected EVA foam on the Adilettes 22. However, I feel like the softness of these is actually really welcome.
Just like the Yeezy Slide, the Adilette 22 us a one-piece construction and it’s all the same material.
One thing that’s kind of interesting about this material is that apparently, it’s 17% plant-based. So, apparently, 17% of this shoe is made of sugar cane.
I’m down with that, but it’s definitely a wild thing.
Comfort-wise, the Adidas Adilette 22 is fine. It’s very soft underfoot and it’s a very comfortable slide. However, it’s significantly more comfortable than the standard Adilette, at least in my opinion.
While I do prefer to wear these shoes with socks, you can get away with wearing them without socks and that’s mainly because the finish on this foam is a little bit more semi-gloss than the finish on the Yeezy Slides.
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This means the Adilettes don’t stick to your foot as much, which in a lot of ways makes the fit a little bit worse but at the same time it doesn’t rub against your foot as much as the Yeezy Slide does.
So, the Adidas Adilette 22 is a shoe that I would be fine to wear all day. No complaints.
BUT…
Yeezy Slides
The Adidas Yeezy Slide is significantly more comfortable than the Adidas Adilette 22.
For whatever reason, the EVA foam used in the Yeezy Slides is significantly softer. Maybe it’s less dense.
I don’t know exactly what difference there is in the actual makeup of the EVA foam, but again, the Yeezy Slide is so much softer underfoot.
If I had to compare the softness of the Yeezy Slides to another pair of Yeezy shoes, the Yeezy Slide is very similar to the Yeezy Foam Runners. (Read: Do Yeezy Foam Runner run small or big?)
And if you’re not familiar with Yeezys, it’s also very similar to a pair of Adidas Boost sneakers.
Just squeezing the footbed of both of these shoes, it’s noticeable how much softer the Yeezy Slide is. Also, the Yeezy really feels like you’re almost walking on clouds.
Adidas did change up the texture last year and I will say that the texture on the newer Yeezy Slides actually makes the shoe a little bit stickier on foot.
So, if you’re judging by squishiness, the most squishy of these two is for sure the Yeezy Slide. The Yeezys are insanely soft and squishy on feet.
I did a little foam density check and I found about 28 to 30 on the Adilette and about 24 to 26 on the Yeezy Slide.
So, if we’re strictly talking comfort, the Yeezy Slides do definitely win that battle.
The Adilette is definitely soft and comfy especially when you compare it to regular slides, but the Yeezy Slides are more comfortable and squishier.
And if you prefer a more firm ride, go with the Adidas Adilette 22s.
But in my opinion, the Yeezy Slide is a shoe that you can wear all day and you’re going to feel great.
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Which shoe is more versatile?
Even though the original Adilette and the Yeezy Slide are much softer, I think the Adilette 22 is more versatile because it’s a little bit more firm and you won’t feel like you’re going to fall out of your feet.
I also think you can walk longer distances in the Adilette 2 than in the other two.
Finally, let’s talk about fit & sizing…
Which shoe fits better and has the sizing done right?
Unfortunately, both of these shoes are Adidas shoes, which means their fit is all over the place.
It always bothers me that Adidas can never get their sizing right. They can’t just call a shoe a 9 and make it a size 9. It’s always a half size big or a half size smaller.
Other brands always seem to get it right, but Adidas always has issues and I don’t know why.
So, in terms of sizing, if you’ve never worn a pair of Adilettes before, they are quite different than your Yeezy Slides.
Adilette 22
For reference, I’m a US size 9 and I have narrow feet.
The Adidas Adilette 22, especially in my size 9, is a very weird shoe.
For me, this shoe was listed as US 9 and also a UK 9, which is weird because UK 9 is actually US 10. So that kind of threw me for a loop.
Also, you can’t grab the shoe in half sizes, and if you’re half size, you’re going to have some trouble there too.
So, as far as sizing recommendations go for the Adidas Adilette 22, if you’re a full size, go with your true size. However, it will fit maybe a little bit long and also a little bit wide.
I mean it fits big. Not a huge amount big and not enough to where I’d say go down a whole size, but it definitely fits a little bit big.
On the other hand, for half-size-footed people, this shoe fits great. If you’re a size 9.5, grab a size 9 or any half size down and the shoe will fit you great.
Getting into the Yeezy Slides, the story is getting just as interesting.
Yeezy Slides
For the first two years of the Yeezy Slide releases, the sizing was also all over the place.
However, unlike with the Adilette, the older versions of the Yeezy Slide used to fit small. So, if you are a size 9, you’d want to grab a size 10.
But that all changed when Yeezy released the Ochre colorway.
The difference between the Ochres and any of the previous slides, the Pures or the Resins, is that the Ochres actually fit true to size and it seems like moving forward, Adidas has adjusted their sizing.
So, slides like the newly released Onyx all seem to fit true to size. I’m glad that they fixed the sizing at least on the Yeezy Slide so that you can grab a true size and be good with your true size.
But you never know with Adidas. You’re always going to have to read online to make sure that the shoe that you’re getting in that particular color fits a certain way.
So, as far as sizing goes, I guess I have to give it to the Yeezy Slides because the newer versions of this shoe do fit true to size.
However, if you look at the total span of Yeezy Slides, the sizing of these slides is way more inconsistent than the Adilettes because there’s only been three colorways of these to release and they’re probably not going to change the sizing of this shoe.
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Cons
There are a few details about the Adidas Adilette that I don’t like very much like this text on the lateral side that says “THE BRAND WITH THE THREE STRIPES”.
I feel like that’s unnecessary, but maybe they added that to sort of differentiate it from the Yeezys.
Also, there are a few angles of this shoe that when you look at them, you’re like “not a huge fan of that”, but it’s really only the back of the shoe and that’s my own personal opinion.
Again, it’s really in the eye of the beholder. You can love it or you can hate it. It just depends on what you think personally.
As for the Yeezy Slides, I did mention that Adidas did change the newly released Yeezy Slides. While this new texture makes the shoe a little bit stickier on foot, in some cases, it can cause some rubbing around the sides of your foot, which I’m not a huge fan of.
It’s really only when I don’t wear a pair of socks and that might not even be the case for everyone.
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Winner?
After covering all of those categories, the winner is the Adidas Yeezy Slide.
While this shoe is not the cheapest shoe both in retail price and definitely not in resale price, it is incredibly comfortable.
It fits relatively true to size if you grab a newer colorway. And design-wise, at least in my opinion, the Yeezy looks better.
That being said, the Adidas Adilette 22 is not a bad slide. It’s a little bit cheaper, it’s a little bit easier to get, and it’s got a very unique look.
And if you like a firmer feel underfoot, you’re going to want to go with the Adilette 22 because while it is a little bit firmer than the Yeezy Slides, it’s not uncomfortably firm.
It’s actually a very comfortable shoe. I think Adidas did an amazing job redesigning the Adilette.
It looks crazy and very original and I love the fact it’s 3D printed and made out of completely renewable materials.
You can buy the:
I would love to know your thoughts on the Adidas Yeezy Slide vs Adidas Adilette 22 and which one of these two slides you prefer.
Make sure to let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below.
As always, thank you so much for making it to the end of this comparison and I’ll see you in the next one 😊
