Why Are NFL Players Wearing Kanye West-Designed Cleats?

Kanye West advertises himself as a modern Renaissance man. He raps, he designs, he produces, he acts, he preaches, he tweets, he invests, he models and sometimes, he even smiles.

He footballs, too.

Last Thursday, while West was in Washington D.C. for his Saint Pablo Tour, his partner, adidas, unleashed a brand bomb via Von Miller. The Super Bowl 50 MVP tweeted an image of Yeezy Boost 750 cleats three hours before the defending champion Broncos were set to take on the Panthers.

Keep in mind, at this point, there was no leak of a Yeezy cleat.

Miller broke the news. Adidas Chief Marketing Officer Eric Liedtke had dropped a hint in The Wall Street Journal on June 29.

"Our industry is so ready for disruption," he said. "The same signature lines have X player, Y player, Z player, so of course we're going to have Kanye work with our guys to challenge that as well."

In a press release that day, adidas also said an adidas + Kanye West line was being created to provide "footwear, apparel and accessories for all genders across street and sport."

Miller wore the Yeezy 750 cleats in warmups, but he slid on a different adidas pair for the real game.

Meanwhile, Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Chiefs safety Eric Berry all wore Yeezy 350 cleats, a low-cut model, on the actual field last Sunday. Hopkins even scored a touchdown.

Look at the Yeezy primeknit in action:

All three players, and Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, shared the cleats on their social media.

Adidas did not officially announce it had a Yeezy cleat line until Tuesday morning. Through the first NFL weekend of the year, from Thursday Night Football to Monday Night Football, Adidas let social media and on-field play (and appearance) promote the product.

Week 2 could offer more surprises. West and adidas are keeping everything close to the belt. After all, name one genius that ain't crazy.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.