Kim Kardashian is once again proving she can separate the art from the artist—even when that artist is her ex-husband. The reality star and business mogul recently praised Kanye West’s Yeezy designs while opening up about the deeply personal journey that led her to walk away from their marriage and, as she put it, ultimately “save” herself.
In a TikTok video shared earlier this week, Kim casually highlighted a striking pair of purple snakeskin Yeezy boots while showing off outfits from a recent Aspen getaway. Standing inside her massive closet, the SKIMS founder paired distressed leather pants with a velvet corset and the eye-catching heels, offering genuine admiration for the design. She noted that Yeezy heels stand in a league of their own and even wondered aloud whether the boots were ever released to the public or made exclusively for her.
The moment may have looked effortless, but it landed at a time when Kim has been unusually candid about the emotional toll her marriage took behind the scenes. While she continues to acknowledge Kanye’s creative brilliance, she has also been clear that talent alone could not offset the instability she experienced in their relationship.
Three years after finalizing their divorce in November 2022, Kim has begun reflecting more openly on what it took to leave a marriage that appeared glamorous from the outside but felt increasingly unlivable in private. In a 2025 appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, she described how her early response to Kanye’s mental health struggles was rooted in empathy and commitment. She wanted to understand, support, and stand by him during difficult moments.
Over time, however, she realized compassion wasn’t enough. Kim revealed there were multiple issues she could no longer ignore, including comments she felt crossed firm boundaries involving her children and extended family. The unpredictability of daily life became especially damaging, creating an environment she felt was neither emotionally safe nor stable.
She admitted that the constant uncertainty began to wear her down in ways she didn’t immediately recognize. Kim described becoming increasingly withdrawn and emotionally disconnected as she tried to make sense of the chaos around her. That dissociation, she said, started affecting not just her own well-being but also her ability to fully show up as a parent.
The turning point came when she recognized that staying was costing her mental health. Kim said she realized she needed to prioritize herself in order to be the best possible mother to her four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. Leaving, she emphasized, wasn’t about punishment or failure—it was about survival and responsibility.
Today, Kim describes co-parenting with Kanye as an ongoing challenge that requires balance and constant effort. She has acknowledged that she is the children’s primary caregiver and remains committed to encouraging a positive relationship between them and their father whenever possible. At the same time, she has been clear that protecting her kids comes first, even when that means making difficult decisions.
That clarity may explain how she can publicly admire Yeezy designs without contradiction. For Kim, recognizing Kanye’s creative influence doesn’t erase the pain of the past, nor does it negate the boundaries she’s fought to establish. It reflects a place of emotional distance—one where appreciation and self-preservation can coexist.
