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A careful balance was sought, each time new elements were added, with existing elements being taken away a design process Smith refers to as reductionism. "Air Yeezy Shoes need to function and always be innovative," said Smith. "So the first thing we did was to make sure the design process that Kanye and Nike Design went through, mirrored that of our athletes."

I've been designing Air Yeezy in my sketch pad since the fourth grade,said West. "So to say I've been prepared for this would be an understatement. The really fun and challenging part for me was learning about Nike's design process, learning more about fabrics and functions and colorways, and all of the details that go into designing a shoe of this quality."

Following the fabled tradition of Nike's design process, West and Smith went through a series of one-on-one design sessions. At Nike Air Yeezy White the ultimate test is one of performance, where the design meets the athlete's movements. Kanye could wear and perform in these shoes and really identify how we could make the shoes perform better.