The Yeezy Quantum, Kanye West‘s first foray into basketball footwear, has a distinctive look thanks to the use of wavy cutaway strips. Underneath the knit upper’s structure, those strips disclose a mesh foundation, and reflective details pop out all around. The upper is made of an off-white suede, while the Boost midsole and herringbone outsole give comfort and grip, respectively.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of the best releases from the model thus far, including some of its more tonal debuts like “Barium” and “Amber Tint” to colorways that venture into uncharted territory like “Hi-Res Coral.” Continue scrolling to take a look at the sneakers and their history.
Yeezy Quantum Teal Blue
The adidas Yeezy Quantum “Teal Blue” is a casual take on Ye’s athletic basketball sneaker, featuring a knit upper with a pattern of vibrant teal highlights and various colors of grey. Additional resistance is added around the toe box by a suede overlay of the same color, and the back of the foot is supported by a prominent heel counter in a contrasting black finish. The responsive cushioning comes from a Boost midsole that runs the length of the shoe and is encased in a layer of semi-translucent rubber.
Yeezy Quantum Barium
The “Barium” colorway ushers in a daring new world for adidas Yeezy, taking its cue from the alkaline earth metal of the same name that can appear either grey or olive green depending on the lighting.
The uppers are tripartite and high-cut, like those of classic basketball shoes. The forefoot and midfoot stand out the most, with a wavy, marbled grey exoskeleton atop a grey synthetic sole and a toe bumper evocative of the Yeezy Boost 700 V2. Black neoprene-like material is used for the neck and collar, with the latter being reinforced with taped seams. Meanwhile, the two-tone grey and silver accent at the heel adds even more sturdiness.
Yeezy Quantum Frozen Blue
The Primeknit base of this particular model has been reinforced by a second TPU overlay, and the shoe’s collar and ankle area have been upgraded with more cushioning. Additionally, the pair has a thinner ankle section that is snug and tighter to support your foot as you play basketball.
Different from the subdued hues seen throughout the adidas sub-inventory, this pair is guaranteed to catch eyes thanks to the animated titular “Frozen Blue” overlays on the rounded profiles. The rest of the sneaker keeps to its original design, but that upper layer has been portrayed as having a glow-in-the-dark finish, similar to that of certain Yeezy 380s.
Yeezy Quantum Sea Teal
The Quantum “Sea Teal” doesn’t introduce any new colors to the lineup compared to what we’ve seen from this silhouette in previous colorways. Although the pair’s palette is distinctive, it deviates only a little from its forerunners.
The front weaving and collar are still dressed in grey and black, which are the primary colors of the upper. The rear heel, whose glossy upper rests on the midsole’s opaque walls, is colored grey. Underfoot, there’s a trace of gum, and the “Sea Teal” and its faded yellow counterpart prefer to stay out of sight over the Primeknit’s colorful side profile.
Yeezy Quantum Flash Orange
The “Flash Orange” was introduced while the searing heat of the summer was approaching, yet the colors and style are more typical of fall. The pair manages to seem modern without veering too far from the norm of typical Yeezy silhouettes. The heel clip and the tongue and collar are both dressed in greyed-out and blacked-out components, which are evocative of previous colorways. Light threads are included even in the side profile, albeit they are immediately outshined by the surrounding titular “Flash Orange” knits.
Yeezy Quantum Onyx
With a blend of greyish tones on the wavy knit pattern on the upper, the virtually all-black color scheme made its way to Yeezy Quantum in 2021. For the most part, the Yeezy design team reserves genuine tonal black for completely knit shoes like the 350, however, it’s already found its way onto truly monochrome models such as the Yeezy Slides and Yeezy Foam Runner this past year.
A lack of contrast is detrimental to the design of upper patterns on shapes like the Yeezy Quantum. The Yeezy Quantum “Onyx” is distinguished by a black tongue, inner lining, toe cap, and solid outsole in addition to the multicolored greyscale knit upper.
Yeezy Quantum Amber Tint
The “Amber Tint” rendition of the Quantum—as the name hints—injects bright pops of color into a monochromatic design. The top is made of a semi-see-through mesh with wave-shaped synthetic overlays in gold, bronze, and brown tones that blend well together.
The breathable upper has a toe cap made of grey synthetic suede and a collar and tongue made of elastic black neoprene. The rear of the foot is cushioned by a heel counter. The responsive cushioning comes from the full-length Boost midsole, which is protected by a TPU cage and has the help of a herringbone-traction rubber outsole.
Yeezy Quantum Hi-Res Coral
The Quantum “Hi-Res Colorway” colorway, which was released as part of Yeezy’s Fall 2022 collection, has a color scheme of blue-gray, light tan, gray, and orange. The sneaker comes with a Primeknit upper that is detailed with suede and neoprene sections. There are also reflective overlays on the back and heat-welded tape to complete the look. The shoes are softly branded with the YEEZY Globe logo placed on the footbed. Orange rubber outsoles and full-length BOOST midsoles complete the shoe’s style.
Yeezy Quantum Mono Carbon
With its “Mono Carbon” color scheme, this Quantum iteration offers a minimalist take on the basketball-inspired design. The upper is constructed from a variety of materials, including the aforementioned elastic neoprene collar, jacquard mesh, and a sequence of wavy textile overlays in a color palette that combines grey and off-white.
Furthermore, the toe cap is reinforced with synthetic suede, and the rearfoot is stabilized by a reflective counter at the heel. An entire Boost midsole provides responsive cushioning; it’s protected by a semi-see-through TPU cage and sits atop a herringbone-patterned rubber outsole.
Published by Malcolm Trapp
