Over 1000 Pairs Of Stolen 'Yeezy' Sneakers Found In U-Haul

A massive quantity of Yeezy brand sneakers was found in the back of a stolen truck on Saturday night, leading to an arrest.

Rupert Crosse, 26, was taken into custody by the Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct on felony charges of aggravated theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, local station KOIN reported. Police say the U-Haul truck full of the Kanye West-designed shoes was stolen sometime earlier in the night. He was booked at Multnomah County Jail following his arrest, but it is unknown if he is still there.

First introduced in 2015, Yeezy shoes are produced in collaboration with Adidas and rapper West. Over the years, the brand has also evolved into a broader fashion label, producing shirts, jackets, pants, and more.

Yeezy shoes are known to retail for high prices, with Sneaker News reporting that they range between $200 and $585, depending on the model. They also fetch much higher prices on the resale market due to their limited production quantities, as high as $1,500, making them an attractive target for criminals.

"Last night, a Uhaul containing 1,100 pairs of new Adidas "Yeezy" shoes was stolen," the Portland Police Bureau tweeted on Sunday, alongside a photo of the allegedly stolen sneakers. "Dayshift officers located the uhaul, arrested 26 YO Rupert Crosse, and recovered the shoes which are estimated to be worth over $250,000. Great work North Dayshift!"

As of Monday, the case remains under investigation. Members of the public with information pertaining to the case are urged to contact the Portland Police Bureau using reference case number 22-74652.

Newsweek reached out to the Portland Police Bureau for a comment on this story.

Yeezy shoes were previously among the items stolen during a mass theft incident in December. High-end shoe Undisputed Sole released surveillance footage showing a gang of smash-and-grab thieves pillaging their store in Valencia, California, stealing Yeezy Foam Runners alongside numerous other high-end brands.

"Please keep an eye on Supreme Box Logos, Supreme Merchandise, Essentials, Bape Merchandise, Travis Merchandise, Supreme Skate Deck, Yeezy Foam Runners, Jordan 4 Unions, Off-White Shoes, Lebron Airmax, Jordan, and Yeezy Shoes and most specially [sic] shoes with only left pair," the store wrote in a statement, according to ABC 7 News.

Another incident involving Yeezys occurred even further back in 2017 when a Reddit user accused a FedEx driver of attempting to steal his order of special zebra-print shoes. The user further called out Adidas for shipping the order in packaging that did not hide the valuable brand of the product inside.

"i'm happy [sic] I stayed home today but it sucks that I had to chase him down to prevent him stealing my pair," the user wrote.