Rappers are the new athletes in the sneaker world when it comes to moving product. Names like LeBron James and Zion Williamson can still turn heads, but the paradigm has clearly shifted in the marketplace. And there arguably isn’t an entertainer who is a bigger draw in sneakers right now than Travis Scott. The rapper experienced a meteoric rise in mainstream popularity over the past few years, thanks in large part to his massively successful third studio album, Astroworld, and countless brand partnerships. Despite no official signature sneaker to speak of like the aforementioned names, Nike has let Scott put his spin on various silhouettes, ranging from Air Force 1s to Air Jordan 6s. Not everyone can say they’ve been able to play with the branding on one of the most iconic shoes ever made, or stamp their personal logo in place of a Jumpman. He has gotten to do both.
The craziest part is that there doesn’t seem to be any signs of him slowing down any time soon. The 31-year-old now has over 20 retail releases under his belt with countless other friends and family exclusive offerings that have surfaced along the way. His name holds so much weight nowadays that Nike has even tried to drum up hype for some of its newer silhouettes using his co-sign like the Air Jordan 33 and Air Max 270 React ENG.
As Scott’s catalog of collabs continues to increase, we decided to take a look at all of his projects thus far, and rank them from worst to best.
18. Air Jordan 33
An experiment that failed. Jordan Brand thought they could make non-basketball players care about the Air Jordan 33 if they let Scott do his own colorway. The rapper even appeared in the ad campaign to help launch the model. They were very wrong. Unless you’re Montrezl Harrell, or I guess any person actually using them for performance purposes on a basketball court, leave these alone.
17. Nike Air Trainer 1
The Air Trainer 1 is one of Tinker Hatfield’s greatest creations, but that doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed win for collaborators. Travis Scott’s take on the original cross-trainer was a little too ambitious, draping the traditionally leather and suede silhouette in a mix of synthetics, perforated leather, and corduroy. There’s obtrusive branding on the forefoot strap and the heel. There’s a zipper pouch on the back, but good luck squeezing much in there. Did we mention there’s also a hidden compartment on the tongue that houses a gaiter that can be attached to the upper in rainy conditions? Yeah, there’s a lot going on. Remixing a classic is always a risky proposition, and this time it didn’t really work out for Cactus Corporation.
16. Nike Air Force 1 Low “Cactus Jack”
When Travis Scott's third official Air Force 1 collaboration initially surfaced back in February 2019, its unique design made many people believe it was a one-of-one for the Houston rapper. As it turns out, the busy design would eventually arrive at retail. Workwear influence can be seen throughout, mainly in the form of a strap with a gold button clasp wrapping the heel and a removable corduroy zipper shroud. Scott's loyal fanbase will also recognize the Cactus Jack Records branding covering certain panels on the multi-colored design. This pair might be doing too much for some people who prefer his much cleaner “Sail” and “White” Air Forces 1 projects, but the attention to detail is still commendable nonetheless.
Not a fan of the shroud? The pair looks much cleaner without it if you want to give that look a try before flipping your pair on the resale market for some extra cash.
15. Nike Air Max 1
Travis Scott releasing his own Air Max 1 had the potential to be as big as the rapper’s work on other classics from the Nike archive like the Air Jordan 1 and Dunk Low. It sounds like a surefire success on paper. But that reality didn’t pan out for a few reasons. For one, its initial launch during the Astroworld Festival in November 2021 was clouded by the deadly tragedy that took place at the event. That same tragedy made Nike suspend the wide release of Travis Scott’s two Air Max 1 colorways indefinitely. When they finally released in May 2022, they marked the resumption of the Travis Scott x Nike relationship. Despite selling out, they weren’t met with quite the same amount of excitement as some other pairs on this list. Some of that certainly had to do with people hesitant to immediately support Travis Scott after what had happened back in November. But all of that aside, the Nike ACG Pocket Knife-inspired alterations made to such an iconic silhouette like the Air Max 1 just didn’t resonate. These may not be flat out terrible. The brown pair is the better option of the two. But these still feel a tier below some of his earlier Nike work.
14. Nike Air Max 270 React “Cactus Trails”
For this collaboration with Nike, Travis Scott called on the real Cactus Jack (BKA former professional wrestler Mick Foley), as well as internet sneaker personality Brad Hall for a unique rollout with a '90s-themed website and fake product like “pre-worn socks” and a bag of sand to complete the sneaker's outdoors aesthetic. The shoes themselves use the Air Max 270 React ENG model and cover the shoe in an earthy palette that makes use of a fleece ankle collar and a midsole that's been given a pre-worn look and extends to the 270 Air unit.
13. Nike Dunk Low “PlayStation”
If Travis Scott’s Fragment Air Jordan 1s have taught you anything, then you know he’s a fan of remixing hyped sneakers from the past and trying to build even more fanfare around them for his younger audience. He first did this on a limited-edition pair of Nike Dunk Lows made in collaboration with PlayStation for the release of the PS5. It only made sense that there were five pairs of them made, making it his most rare sneaker to date. The sneakers were available through a raffle on his website where the winners were chosen. The shoes are a flip on the PlayStation Air Force 1s from 2006, which became a viral shoe when then-Flight Club manager Chris Vidal wore them on The Tyra Banks Show. While the Air Force 1s came in black patent leather, the Dunks came in Scott’s preferred palette of “vibier” earth tones, including soft grey and light blue suedes. All in all, a good shoe. Just don’t hold your breath that you’ll get a pair.
12. Air Jordan 1 Low “Phantom”
This is undoubtedly the most simplistic Travis Scott collaboration to date. The “Phantom” Air Jordan 1 Low features an all-black nubuck upper. The only bits of contrast come by way of white stitching and subtle hints of red from things like the Cactus Jack logo on the tongue tag (or laces if you decide to swap in the extra set that comes in the box). The design element that differentiates this pair from Travis Scott’s past Air Jordan 1 Lows is the beetle stitched on the left heel that has also been used across the merch that accompanied this release. A predominantly black sneaker is about as inoffensive as it gets. We aren’t calling these bad. However, compared to past collabs, these just don’t feel very exciting.
11. Air Jordan VI “British Khaki”
For his 29th birthday on April 30, 2021, Travis Scott decided to celebrate by doing something most can’t. He released his own Air Jordans. More specifically, Travis gave his hordes of supporters the opportunity to purchase the “British Khaki” Air Jordan 6. Like its olive green predecessor, this pair features infrared detailing and a cargo pocket alteration on the lateral ankle collar. Some minor differences were introduced too: the nubuck upper was replaced with suede and an additional zipper pocket was added to the medial ankle collar to store any miniature good of the wearer’s choosing. Everything comes together for a solid sequel that fits perfectly into Travis’ desert-inspired, earth-toned aesthetic. It isn’t bad by any means. Some even prefer it to its predecessor. But we think there are a few of his collabs that are a bit better. That being said, this release did bring us an amazing commercial featuring Detroit Pistons legend and former Jordan Brand athlete Rip Hamilton, which proves once again that Travis and the Cactus Jack team know how to put together a memorable rollout for just about anything.
10. Air Jordan I “Fragment”
Some sneaker collaborations are just too big to fail. That’s certainly what the three-way crossover between Travis Scott, Fragment, and Jordan Brand on the Air Jordan 1 feels like. While Hiroshi Fujiwara’s brand Fragment may not have the same clout for the current generation of sneaker collectors as it used to, introducing it to an equation already involving one of the biggest rappers on the planet and one of Jordan’s hottest silhouettes at the moment guaranteed that people would lose their minds over the shoe. Is it actually a good-looking sneaker, though? The color blocking feels slightly amiss, and the involvement of Fragment was never fully explained, which means the sneaker loses some points. Plus, we’ve already seen Travis do the backwards Swoosh thing on this model before. Yes, it’s a gigantic hype sneaker, but this Air Jordan 1 is just outside the upper echelon of Travis Scott sneaker collabs.
9. Air Jordan I Low ‘Fragment’
Pretty much any sneaker Travis Scott stamps his name on is going to get people talking. When you add a streetwear legend like Fragment’s Hiroshi Fujiwara to the equation, the hype is only going to escalate, even if we have yet to really be told why the two parties were brought together in the first place other than their shared interest in making cool shit. The Travis Scott x Fragment partnership has provided us with two Air Jordan 1s, a High and a Low. Both take a similar approach: backwards Swooshes, identical color palettes, and subtle placement of Fragment lightning bolts on the upper. The Low does it a bit better though. The color blocking is cleaner with less reliance on the bright blue that covers a majority of the High. The use of cream on the laces, Swoosh, and midsole give these a nice vintage-inspired touch too. All things considered, the sneaker is pretty good, but given how strong some of Travis Scott’s past work has been this falls in the middle of the pack even with the addition of another notable collaborator.
8. Nike Air Force 1 Low “Sail”
This nearly identical sequel maintains all of the details that made the original shine like the trio of interchangeable Swooshes, chrome grill dubraes, and Cactus Jack-themed branding patches that cover the laces. The sail canvas upper makes these a little harder to ruin than its pure white predecessor. If you don’t mind the subtle color difference, these provide the same look at a slightly more affordable price point on the resell market.
7. Air Jordan I Low
When Travis Scott’s Air Jordan I Lows initially released, the silhouette still wasn’t being met with quite the same level of support as its high-top counterpart in the marketplace. Over time, the opinion on them has shifted a bit. Jordan Brand released more Lows in other colorways. People aren’t as critical of the design as the once were—at least not everyone is. This pair largely follows the formula of the better high-top version mentioned above, but swaps out white leather panels for black nubuck. You’re sure to still see these on a lot of feet right now, and they are going for a pretty decent mark-up on the resale market that seems to just keep climbing. While many were sour on the Air Jordan I Low before, it’s safe to say this collab definitely helped warm some people up to them.
6. Air Jordan VI
Travis Scott’s Air Jordan VI takes some obvious military inspiration, most notably the addition of a cargo pocket on the lateral ankle collar that continues the rapper’s habit of tweaking the designs of Michael Jordan’s highly-heralded signature line. Its olive green suede upper, and bright orange accents are also quick to rekindle memories of the ultra-rare Undefeated x Air Jordan IV. With a shoe like that to compare to, placing this pair high on the list was a no brainer.
5. Air Jordan 1 Low “Reverse Mocha”
The “Reverse Mocha” Air Jordan 1 Low saw the Travis Scott x Nike partnership fully return to form. In fact, the July 2022 improved upon an existing idea to deliver what we believe to be Travis Scott’s best Air Jordan 1 Low collab to date. The pair doesn’t do anything different from past colorways, but it doesn’t feel like it was an afterthought either. It executes the rapper’s signature design almost perfectly with its brown suede upper, white leather overlays, and a cream reverse Swoosh. The release also had Travis Scott recruit a timely cameo from actor Javon Walton off the heels of his much talked about role in season two of HBO’s Euphoria. When Travis’s original Air Jordan 1 Low released in 2019, it was responsible for helping improve the reputation of the silhouette in the marketplace. Three years later, 1 Lows are much more popular than they were just a few years ago. In fact, Air Jordan 1 Lows release in plenty of colorways nowadays. So, it’s nice to see that Jordan Brand and Travis Scott can still cook up a pair that feels special.
4. Nike SB Dunk Low
With the amount of attention that Travis Scott has been responsible for putting back on Nike SB Dunks, it’s only right that he eventually released his own. Taking a similar approach to the “Cactus Jack” Air Force 1s, this pair features a handful of different patterns including a plaid quarter panel, tear-away navy blue paisley fabric around the toe and heel, and tan nubuck. Cactus Jack branding can be seen on the tongue tag and ankle collar, while mismatched Swooshes and thick rope laces on each side panel add even more flare. Keeping it true to the quickstrike SBs of old, this collab was exclusive to select boutiques and skate shops. The lack of a SNKRS release makes this pair one of the harder SBs to obtain, much to the chagrin of plenty of fans and collectors alike.
3. Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘White’
This Air Force 1 marked Scott’s inaugural collaboration with Nike. Originally released in limited fashion exclusively at ComplexCon in November 2017, the pair would later receive an additional launch as well. Its limited run also caused it to hold a pretty high value on the resell market. Despite the incredibly similar “Sail” sequel that resells for less, this is still a great shoe in its own right. And it’s the one that started the ongoing Travis Scott x Nike partnership. That’s got to count for something.
2. Air Jordan IV “Cactus Jack”
With a pair of Nike collabs under his belt, Travis Scott dropped his first official Air Jordan project in 2018. It was widely considered one of the best releases of the year, selling out almost instantly upon release. The best part of this pair is its personal connection to the rapper who honored the now-defunct Houston Oilers NFL franchise with the color palette, a perfect nod to his hometown.
1. Air Jordan I High
Arguably the most coveted release of 2019, Scott’s Air Jordan I is without a doubt the Houston rapper’s greatest collab to actually release to the public. The hype around the shoe was aided greatly by his loyal fanbase seeing him rock the shoe on stage in various stops on his Astroworld: Wish You Were Here tour that kicked off in late 2018, and soon enough it seemed like the shoe was everywhere. Every other week it seems like a new Air Jordan I gets released these days, but Trav was able to make the pair feel fresh with special details like a giant backwards Swoosh on the lateral side panel, Velcro stash pocket wrapping the ankle collar, and five sets of laces to allow for some personal customization.
This post was originally posted on complex.com.
