Former Head of Yeezy Innovation Lab Launches His Own Sneaker Company

In the aftermath of a tumultuous divorce between Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and adidas, the sneaker landscape was always guaranteed to look a little different. In the months to follow, the 3-Stripes made it clear that it was planning to continue producing Yeezy designs without Yeezy branding, while Ye himself decided to turn up unannounced at various footwear companies looking for production and partnership opportunities. None of this really takes into account the people behind the Yeezy footwear operation, but now it’s been revealed that a former Yeezy employee is set to start his own footwear production company.

Working with a new business partner, Abishek Som, former Yeezy Innovation Lab Head Omar Bailey has announced the launch of FCTRY LAb - a BIPOC-owned sneaker prototyping lab and venture studio that has been created to support emerging designers.

According to Bailey, the lab is set to be fully operational by January, and the idea is to help democratize the sneaker industry by offering a set-up that will suit brands and designers of all sizes. The lab will offer an end-to-end service, meaning that the entire process of prototyping and development will be able to happen from its LA location. This allows for a much quicker turnaround time and fewer shipping delays - issues that have been plaguing the sneaker industry for the past couple of years.

Right now, FCTRY LAb offers a number of services, including 3-D printing, pattern making and moulding, and the founders have said that they will be looking to branch out to add a sales and marketing division next year. As for what this means for the industry, it's looking like we may have some exciting new sneaker brands to look forward to very soon!

In other industry news, Nike has announced new measures to beat sneaker bots.