Nike Air Yeezy 3: Designer Brett Golliff Imagines The Future

We know it's coming, so we decided to design it.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Brett Golliff is a designer experienced in the sneaker, automotive and other industries. Follow him on Twitter @bgolliff.

"We know, there's still (at least) one color of the Nike Air Yeezy 2 yet to come — praise Yeezus. I just wanted to get a head start on things and give you the elements that the next Yeezy has to have. Because by this time next year, photos will be leaking and rumors will be circulating about what the next epic shoe Kanye West is going to bless us with. So take a look at the elements that I believe are necessary to create the next Yeezy."

Yeezy Branding

"Every signature shoe has great branding about who it is representing and the Yeezy line has been no different. The Yeezy 1 features much more obvious branding with the repeated "Y" monogram and the Yeezy 2 features a much more subtle approach with the hieroglyphics that spell "YZY". For the Yeezy 3, I see the branding being more integrated with the overall aesthetic and reverting back to the "Y" motif. It will emerge out of the overall graphic, so it will remain subtle but still be very bold and obvious to the keen eye."

Colorways

"As we have all witnessed over the past few weeks, nothing is more important to this shoe than color. For me what makes the Yeezy line so successful is not only its overall scarcity but also its selective amount of color options. For the Yeezy 3, I say it stays the same as the previous two and releases with three colorways. The difference this time around is the palette. Kanye says he is a "minimalist trapped in a rapper's body" and I think the Yeezy 3 should play off of that notion. The color options should be black, white and red and all of them tonal. Kanye is in a place where he is creating raw and deep sounds with a lot of texture. The colorways will play off that. They will have high levels of finished surfaces. The white will be high gloss, the black will be matte and the red will be a combination of matte and gloss. All of them will fuse together the complex aesthetic to create a deep and raw appearance."

Faceted Surfacing

"'Walk around always mad reputation...' Kanye is a deep man. He has many different facets to him and how he creates. This shoe should embody that. I think the Yeezy 3 should feature details that are both complex but beautiful. It should be attractive but militant. By using a faceted upper it will create a complex graphic that pulls the viewer in an as the graphic shifts from angle to angle and it will also give a very aggressive texture to the shoe. It creates a sense of decadent rebellion. The faceting can also represent the growth of Kanye through his music. By using the diamond—or The Roc—and having it materialize into his branding and logo it visually shows his transformation as an artist. His aesthetic becomes more than just a style, but a piece of him."

Flyknit Material

"This shoe needs updated materials. Extravagant leathers are great, and there will always be a place for them in luxury products, but the Yeezy 3 needs to take advantage of a luxurious process—engineered knitting. Kanye has been seen numerous times wearing the FlyKnit Trainer (I actually think he is responsible for making the first wave of the White Trainer sell out); so it is obvious he has a liking for the shoe. So take the knitting to the next level and create a pattern that is both ballistic and breathable. Something that can handle a riot and a dope night in the club, which pending on how your night goes, could be one and the same."

Use of an Iconic Sole Unit

"One of my favorite elements of all the Yeezy shoes is seeing which sole unit Kanye selects. It gives you a little glimpse into his mind of what he likes and most importantly, what he sees as iconic. Personally, though, I think the old-school tooling is played out. It's cool but everyone does it and its time to switch the game up. The next sole unit should be a tooling that showed what the future was to become—the LunaRacer, which I feel fits Kanye's current style mentality. It's dramatic, lightweight and most importantly will stand the test of time to become an iconic piece of footwear history."

Updated Pattern

"The Yeezy line ushered in extreme proportions. The height and cut of the first two shoes really pushed where footwear went and I think the Yeezy 3 needs to do the same, only in a new way. Everything about Kanye's current state is getting more minimal. He appreciates objects in their raw and pure form. To me there are not too many patterns in footwear that are more pure than a Chukka. Plus, it is an obvious current trend in footwear. It would be great to see the Yeezy line master what a Chukka can be. Take the style and make a well-proportioned upper that is enhanced and pushes footwear into a new space."

Flywire

"'Reebok baby, you need to try new things, have you ever had shoes without shoestrings?' Why has the Yeezy line never had a shoe without shoestrings? I believe that the bulk of Yeezys have been worn unlaced in an 'I don't give a f*ck' look. So why does the Yeezy still have laces? The Yeezy 3 needs to take Flywire to the next level and make it become the strap that is synonymous with the line. If executed properly it will allow for a customized fit and, most importantly, a customized look. So you can still rock that 'I don't give a f*ck' look."

Glow In The Dark

"The shoe has to have glowing elements. It is one of the most important features to the Yeezy line. One thing that is becoming less dominant in the Yeezy line is the branding of the Swoosh. I believe that it can be enhanced by becoming the main glowing element. This allows the Swoosh to be understated but still powerful in the right situation. It would also be dope if the technology pieces glowed as well—for instance, the Flywire. I know it is different to take the glow off the sole unit like the previous two Yeezys featured but by bringing it to the upper it gives it a whole new experience."

Tactile Elements

"The molded heel and tactile feel of the anaconda-textured leather took the Yeezy 2 to the next level. Those details created a multifaceted appearance that pushed sneakers into a new area that hadn't been seen or felt before. The Yeezy 3 has to continue this tradition. By using direct-injected pieces that are molded to the upper it will create an aesthetic that is aggressive and avant garde."

The Yeezy 3

"The overall concept of the Yeezy 3 is meant to capture a moment in Kanye's creative life. Like the previous two shoes, the third shoe represents where Kanye is at musically. It is a visceral take on what the shoe can become and is a translation of the stripped-down, dark, deep, textured and raw rebellious state of Yeezus. We can't wait."