Country-of-origin label
The photographed sewn label explicitly states “Made in Korea.” This is stronger evidence of a Korean manufacturing claim than the factory's corporate name alone.
Object study · Nike / 2012 · No. 001
The Korean
02.14.12
Yeezy 2.
A Korean-made Black / Solar Red factory sample, marked PROD CFM 20120214. The seller states he received the pair directly from Kanye West. Dated Korean factory identifiers, Changshin paperwork, and 100 original photographs tell the story of the shoes.
US 12Black / Solar Red100 original photographs
Examine the evidence ↓BUY IT NOW $100,000 ↗
01 / Introduction
Not another retail pair.
A Korean-made, factory-marked US size 12 Nike Air Yeezy 2 Black/Solar Red production-confirmation sample, dated February 14, 2012—116 days before the worldwide retail launch.
This collection study is built from 100 original OM System TG-7 photographs. The sample stamps, Korean production-confirmation label and Changshin paperwork anchor the identification of this pre-release pair. Its separate Kanye West ownership account is attributed to the seller and Sneaker Con Miami collectors.
Production marking20120214Printed on factory label
Origin markingKoreaAs printed on sewn label
SizeUS 12Men's sample label
Photographic record100Original TG-7 frames
02 / Primary-source material
Factory evidence, dated.
The sewn factory label and interior Nike markings identify the photographed pair as a Korean-made production-confirmation sample dated February 14, 2012.
Its accompanying Changshin production sheet is shown beside the shoe in the original photographic record.
Evidence A · Sewn production label
The date is on the shoe.
“MADE IN KOREA,” “508214-006 DS,” “AIR YEEZY 2,” “BLK/BLK-SOLAR RED,” “SIZE M’12,” and “PROD CFM 20120214” are legible in the original macro photograph.
Interpretation: February 14, 2012 is printed as a production-related marking. The label records a February 14, 2012 factory-stage date; the original printed abbreviations are preserved without reinterpretation.
Evidence B · Interior marking
Property of Nike. Not for resale.
The interior is printed “SAMPLE / PROPERTY OF NIKE INC. / NOT FOR RESALE.” This is an important sample-designation marking on the photographed shoes.
These production markings form part of the pair’s material history. The markings are documented here as part of this pair’s pre-release sample history.
Evidence C · Attached factory paperwork
The Changshin record.
The photographed document names CHANGSHIN, INC., identifies AIR YEEZY 2, and includes an internal offering identifier SU12-MNLA3R-429. It describes the Black/Black–Solar Red colorway and size 12.
The documented February stage is consistent with the date visible on the shoe’s production label. Together they place the pair’s documented production-confirmation stage in February 2012.
Sample stamp
Both a sample marking and Nike property language are visible in the photographic set. The printed wording records the pair as a Nike-designated sample rather than an ordinary retail-labeled example.
The Kanye West connection
The pair is presented with a reported direct Kanye West ownership history and a Sneaker Con Miami account of the missing size-12 Korean promotional sample. The production marks and photographic details provide a physical record of the shoe itself.
03 / Material investigation
Read the construction.
The TG-7 macro series documents surface geometry and finishing details that a typical resale listing would never show.
These are observed attributes of this pair. A difference from retail must be established with controlled, matched-angle photographs of a verified 2012 retail pair.
Construction 01
Embossed leather scales.
A sequence of high-resolution frames documents scale geometry, surface texture, seams and the molded Swoosh panel. These provide repeatable comparison landmarks.
Construction 02
Ribbed heel sculpture.
Multiple orthogonal views document the heel ridges, edge transitions and midsole junction. These are useful for studying tooling consistency and possible development revisions.
Construction 03
Outsole illumination.
The outsole glows vividly in dark-frame photographs. Luminescence is documented here as a material property; glow intensity cannot be compared fairly without controlled light exposure, camera settings and elapsed time.
04 / Retail comparison protocol
What is actually different?
A pre-release sample should be compared to verified 2012 retail pairs—not to memory, resale photographs, or later reproductions.
The following table presents the distinctive photographed identifiers and the construction details for comparison with original 2012 retail examples.
| Feature | Photographed pair | Retail comparison / conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Interior marking | “SAMPLE / PROPERTY OF NIKE INC. / NOT FOR RESALE” | Sample-specific designation visible; compare against verified retail interiors. |
| Origin / production label | “MADE IN KOREA”; 508214-006 DS; PROD CFM 20120214 | Nonstandard sample-format labeling merits documentation; authentic retail-label reference needed. |
| Development paperwork | Changshin sheet and attached tags photographed | Not an ordinary consumer-box identifier; connection and authenticity still require validation. |
| Leather panel and scales | Detailed macro texture and seam geometry | Differences from retail not yet measured. |
| Heel, strap and hardware | Detailed multi-angle imagery | Differences from retail not yet measured. |
| Glow outsole | Glow documented in dark photographs | Not automatically unique to samples; controlled test required. |
| Collector provenance | Reported Kanye West association and missing size-12 story | Collector-reported history; original Nike distribution records have not been supplied. |
05 / Documented chronology
Before the
world saw it.
From Kanye’s 2011 pre-release appearances to the Korean launch photographs of June 2012, the original press record frames a factory-marked sample dated February 14.
Explore contemporary coverage and the original Seoul photography. The factory-marked pair, the retail launch and the later photographic preservation are presented as distinct events.
Factory-stage marking02.14.2012PROD CFM 20120214 · US 12
Before retail116 daysPublic release · June 9, 2012
Korean retail bulletin250–285 mmPublished Solar Red retail sizes · June 7
The black-and-pink Yeezy 2 appears.
Contemporary reporting identifies an apparent Black/Pink Yeezy 2 sample in Watch the Throne documentary footage, placing the color concept in public view almost a year before retail.
Kanye wears the pre-release colorway.
Concert photographs document Kanye wearing the Black/Pink shoe. A December close-up photo set captures the evolving upper textures, sculpted heel, strap and translucent sole.
The Korean production-confirmation sample.
The photographed US 12 pair is marked MADE IN KOREA, 508214-006 and PROD CFM 20120214. Interior printing identifies it as SAMPLE / PROPERTY OF NIKE INC. / NOT FOR RESALE. These are the dated sample-identification markings at the center of this collection study.
Don C documents the black-and-pink pair.
Sneaker News publishes original pre-release close-up photographs attributed to Don C, just 13 days after the production-confirmation date printed on this sample.
The Solar Red code is published.
Sneaker News identifies Black/Solar Red as 508214-006, matching the style designation on the Korean sample label.
Release preparations become public.
Contemporary reporting describes how Air Yeezy 2 had been restricted to a small VIP circle ahead of its June 9 retail launch.
The Korean release details are published.
Korean sneaker publication It’s Shoes Time lists the Black/Solar Red at 508214-006, KRW 289,000 and 250–285 mm as the local retail size range. A US 12 is outside this Korean retail size listing, distinguishing the photographed US 12 sample from that published retail allocation.
The Air Yeezy 2 reaches retail.
Black/Black–Solar Red and Wolf Grey/Pure Platinum release publicly. The sample’s February 14 factory-stage date is 116 days earlier.
Original photographs survive from Seoul.
It’s Shoes Time publishes an on-location photographic record of the June 9 Wausan 107 raffle in Hongdae. The Korean reporter documents approximately 59 pairs across both colorways and unusually high demand.
A detailed Korean retail comparator is photographed.
An extensive Korean Solar Red review provides dated photographs of the retail upper, materials, insole and outsole: a valuable visual baseline beside this February 2012 sample’s 100-frame record.
One hundred frames preserve this pair.
The owner’s OM System TG-7 study records the documented sample markings, production paperwork, construction and luminescence. The photographed pair is presented in deadstock condition.
2012 / Korean primary-period archive
Seoul, in the original photographs.
Three surviving Korean publications provide launch records and retail-comparison imagery. View each complete photograph series directly with its original publisher.
The Korean release bulletin
Original announcement: release date, Korean Solar Red sizes 250–285 mm, price and official product images.
Open the original article and photographs ↗Check Wayback capture calendar ↗The Seoul release photo essay
A contemporary visual record of the June 9 Wausan 107 raffle, including the store, crowd and launch.
Open the original article and photographs ↗Check Wayback capture calendar ↗The retail-pair photo study
Detailed 2012 Black/Solar Red photographs for a side-by-side comparison with the February sample.
Open the original article and photographs ↗Check Wayback capture calendar ↗Publication dates and article photography are linked to the original sites. The PDF is an original annotated reference guide—not a reproduction of third-party articles. Wayback calendar links allow independent snapshot checks; specific archived captures have not been certified. The reported missing-size collector story is separate from the published 2012 Korean retail size range.
06 / Photographic collection
One hundred frames.
One physical record.
Every supplied TG-7 photograph is included in the searchable photographic collection below.
Click any frame to inspect a larger image. The files are web-optimized derivatives; retain the original JPEGs as the evidence master.
07 / The collector story
The Kanye pair. The missing size twelve.
At Sneaker Con Miami, collectors described a Korean Air Yeezy 2 Solar Red promotional run whose size-12 pair had not been seen in the known collector market since 2012.
According to the account relayed by collectors, a twelve-pair promotional grouping covered sizes 6 through 12, with the size 6 and size 12 pairs considered missing from known circulation. The collector story connects this run with Kanye West and the missing size-12 example.
12THE REPORTED MISSING SIZE
A missing size in the Kanye West sample story.
At Sneaker Con Miami, collectors described a Korean promotional sample grouping connected to Kanye West, in which the size 12 had reportedly been absent from known circulation since 2012.
This size-12 pair carries Korean sample markings, a 20120214 production-confirmation date, and Changshin paperwork. Its reported Kanye West ownership history is part of the collector narrative; the original photography presents the tangible production evidence.
Explore the dated factory evidence ↗08 / Private acquisition
An extraordinary object.
Available for acquisition.
Nike Air Yeezy 2 · Black / Solar Red · US 12 · February 14, 2012 production-confirmation sample. Presented by Areg Akopyan / Collectables & Marketplace.
MINIMUM OFFER · USD$100,000Higher offers welcome · Private inquiry
100 original OM System TG-7 photographs · Korean production-confirmation markings · Changshin documentation · US men's 12.
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