The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Cloud is on schedule to release this week, and so far, pre-release sales numbers and premiums are living up its name and touching the sky. Just as many recent 350 V2 releases have done, these shoes are releasing in two variations: Reflective and Non-Reflective. The Reflective Cloud 350s are set to drop on Thursday, September 19th, and their Non-Reflective counterpart will release two days later on Saturday, September 21st. Yeezy has given new life to the 350 V2 with the introduction of 3M Reflective models and there are no signs of the hype dying down. Let’s look into how this newest installment in the 350 V2 line could be a best-seller and why it will continue Yeezys’ reflective hot streak.
In early June of 2019, Yeezy released the 350 V2 Black in Reflective and Non-Reflective versions. Leading up to the drop, nobody thought very much of it. The first Reflective 350 V2 (Static) that released six months prior wasn’t much of a needle mover, averaging a respectable but unexceptional resale price of $530. Somewhat surprisingly, there wasn’t much of a gap between the Reflective and Non-Reflective prices: the Non-Reflective Static 350 averaged a resale price only $215 cheaper, at a 49% premium. Many resellers saw a not-so-bright future as 350 premiums had been declining over the years, with an abundance of colorways saturating the market.
Then, news got out about a black colorway releasing with reflective and non-reflective uppers, and some saw a glimpse of light at the end of the dark-tunnel. And when the June 6th release day for the Black 350s finally came, resellers were given even more reasons for optimism.
Word of insane premiums on the Black Reflective V2s spread like wildfire and for the first time since the Yeezy 750, these Yeezys immediately started trading at resale prices above $1000. Since its release, the Yeezy 350 V2 Black Reflective has averaged a sky-high resale price of $1,420 with a premium of 545%. A ripple effect began and soon resale prices of the Static 350 V2 Reflective began to rise across the board, boosting prices for the original Static Reflective as well. Since June 6th, prices for the Static Reflective 350s have averaged $845 – several hundred dollars more than what they were averaging in the spring. Although the Reflective Black 350 V2s would appear as an outlier when compared to the previous 350 V2s, following releases proved the magic was in the 3M.
After the 350 V2 Black, Yeezy released three new colorways in a similar fashion with Reflective and Non-Reflective uppers. Collectively, Reflective models have averaged a resale price of $1,051 and premiums of 366%. These numbers are significantly larger than those of their Non-Reflective counterparts. The data shows that Reflective 350 V2s sell on average for $671 more than Non-Reflective versions with a 294% gap in price premiums. This goes to show us that although both models are essentially equal in price and design, one small change can mean a world of difference in market value.
Thus far, pre-release sales of the Clouds have been relatively scarce, with just a few hundred of each variant selling on StockX. In those limited sales, the Non-Reflective version has flipped for $387, while the Reflective version has resold for $900 on average. How will prices for the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Cloud respond after their official release, when supply fully hits the market? Based on the performance of recent releases, we expect prices for the Reflective model to remain close to where they are now and then begin to climb. Non-reflective prices will likely remain 2-3 times lower, but will continue to resell for a healthy premium. The Non-Reflective pair will trade in higher quantities, but the Reflective pair will take a commanding lead in value and premium. Over time, we predict both shoes to retain value and stay resilient in the market like many recent Yeezy 350 V2s have done. While the focus is on the Reflective Clouds, both variations of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Cloud will add fuel to the fire Yeezy has rekindled since the start of the summer and earn a spot on the watchlist of resellers and casual buyers alike.
