January 2007 saw the release of one of Kanye West’s earliest sneaker collaborations, a special-edition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape. Unlike subsequent co-branded releases in which Kanye created an entirely new silhouette from the ground up, this joint venture utilizes an existing model – Bape’s flagship sneaker. The design features a leather upper finished in colors and artwork inspired by West’s debut studio album, The College Dropout.