Dawn of a New Rage: The Unstoppable Sneaker Reign of Travis Scott
'I am the acid of rap,' Travis Scott reflected in the lead up to ASTROWORLD. But hip hop is not the only industry that La Flame’s been regularly dosing. He’s also been spiking the sneakersphere with hallucinogenic, rodeo-inspired designs that constantly reinforce his genealogical links to Missouri City, Texas. From Helmut Lang to Nike SB and the Jumpman, Travis Scott’s narrative has been everything but straightforward. So buy a ticket and take the ride: this is the sneaker evolution of Travis Scott.
The Missouri Bull
Before his lucrative link up with Jordan Brand, Travis Scott cut his teeth with the high-end fashion house, Helmut Lang.
Channelling the aesthetic of Travis Scott's earlier work in the studio, the 2017 collection highlighted some of Cactus Jack’s more idiosyncratic stylings, including his infatuation with the rodeo, and penchant for Helmut Lang’s late ‘90s wardrobe.
‘I’ve been a fan of Helmut Lang for, like, 15 years’, Travis Scott told W Magazine. ‘Everything was just always fresh. I remember my mom bought me one of their shirts for Easter, so that I could wear Helmut Lang for Easter. That was my first piece.’
Inspired by his hometown of Houston, the collection was Travis Scott’s first major collaboration in the sneakersphere — a pair of minimalist, nylon sneakers manufactured in Italy and stamped with a bull on the tongue. It was a prescient motif that would foreshadow his aggressive moves in the competitive world of fashion and sneakers.
Nose to the Grindstone: Take Two on the Air Force 1 (2019)
A material mashup of camouflage, corduroy, duck canvas, flannel, leather, suede, and wool, Travis Scott’s second rendition of the Air Force 1 again pays homage to his Missouri City roots.
Featuring a detachable lace cover, the Air Force 1 takes cues from traditional work coats, with heavy brass zippers and corduroy collars again reinforcing a topographical lineage.
Blending fabric with burlap accents (a reference to farm product), the Air Force 1 reveals the soaring storytelling aptitude of Cactus Jack, the 24/7 rager able to convey the intrinsic work ethic and ‘nose to the grindstone’ mentality of the American Midwest.
The Air Force 1 is without a doubt one of his most experimental footwear designs yet.
Six Appeal: The Air Jordan 6 (2019)
Arguably Travis Scott’s hottest release to date, the Air Jordan 6 is a tour de force. La Flame’s fourth Jordan Brand collaboration, the silhouette was originally teased during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIII, before finally dropping in October 2019. Built with glow-in-the-dark translucent outsoles, nubuck and suede uppers, and compact ‘utility pouch’ on the ankle, Travis Scott’s raging Air Jordan 6 still generates huge prices on the resale market.
The Highest in the Room: Nike SB Dunk Low (2020)
Tapping into the meteoric resurgence of the Nike SB Dunk Low, Travis Scott sent the hype machine into overdrive in February, 2020.
Known for his heavy courtside flex of the Nike SB line (including classics like the SB Dunk Low ‘Freddy Kruger’ and ‘Paris’ in Houston’s Toyota Center), Travis Scott first teased his maiden SB Dunk on his JACKBOYS music video.
Already one of the most elusive drops of 2020, Scott’s Dunk is built with paisley canvas, plaid flannel overlays, rope laces, and mismatched pink and black Swooshes. Emblazoned with the rising Cactus Jack branding on the tongue, the Nike SB colab also features on-trend tearaway uppers that reveal elephant print underneath.
Popping the Bubble: The Air Max 270 React 'Cactus Trails' (2020)
Travis Scott’s inaugural Air Max project was a solid one. one of the more eccentric collaborations from the JACKBOYS entourage, the oily, liquid-gold rendition was built with mesh uppers, and white tumbled leather and suede overlays. Like an Air Max en-route to the avant-garde via Texas, the Air Max 270 React shows that Travis Scott and his JACKBOYS aren’t afraid to mix it up with new silhouettes from Nike’s vast catalogue.
Like an Air Max en-route to the avant-garde via Texas, the Air Max 270 React shows that Travis Scott and his JACKBOYS aren’t afraid to mix it up with new silhouettes from Nike’s extensive range.
The Auteurs: Fragment Design x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 (2021)
In terms of hype, it’s tough to exceed a three-way collaboration between the Jumpman, Travis Scott, and legendary Japanese imprint . Launching in 2021, the collaboration was replete with all of Travis Scott’s branding hallmarks, including the reverse Swoosh and Cactus Jack iconography on the left heel. The Fragment Design logo sits on the right – and both branding signatures are embossed. Of course well known for his signature colour palette, Hiroshi Fujiwara’s striking blue accents made their way across the entire uppers. Down below, the aged midsoles imbued the partnership with a vintage flair.
Knives Out: The Nike Air Max 1 (2022)
Travis Scott’s second take on Nike’s hallowed Air Max line, the Air Max 1 took aesthetic cues from the Nike ACG Pocket Knife hiking shoe. Featuring sturdy Durabuck overlays, signature reverse Swoosh logos and a drawstring Ghillie lacing system (a technical homage to trail runners), the intrepid Air Max 1 climbs close to the apex of La Flame’s creative footwear endeavours.
Into the Weight Room: The Nike Air Trainer 1 SP (2022)
Again taking inspiration from hiking culture and gear, Travis Scott’s take on the Nike Air Trainer launched in 2022. Complete with a small zip pocket to keep your goodies in the heel, the remixed cross-trainer came with rope laces and the signature reverse Swoosh on the medial side. Emblazoned with the all-new Cactus Corporation branding on the midfoot strap, the colab again reinforced Scott’s understanding of the Gorp-core culture pervading the sneaker industry. Originally a cross-training shoe from the 1987, the Tinker Hatfield home-run was specifically designed to cater for the needs of the multi-sport athlete.
‘You Cannot Be Serious’: The Nike Mac Attack (2023)
Certainly one of the more unpredictable partnerships across Travis Scott’s indomitable reign was the link-up with John McEnroe and the Nike Mac Attack. A legendary silhouette from Nike’s hard-hitting tennis vault, the Travis Scott x Mac Attack helped launch tennis gear to new heights in recent years, with the Swoosh backing it up with a niche Supreme Nike Courtposite (teased by meteoric young Spanish talent Carlos Alcaraz). No doubt struggling to fill the void after Serena Williams retired, Nike are looking to lean heavily into the retro catalogue moving forward, with Andre Agassi’s Air Tech Challenge II slated for another retro run this year.