If you’re here, then you’re probably going through a sneaker education loop. And well, you’re in the right place! We’re going all-in with the Travis Scott collaborations here. But first, we’re doing a (not so) tiny recap on the industry’s history with collabs! What started as a rubber-soled shoe in the late 18th century grew to become one of the most popular industries. The sneaker industry has come a long way since then.
You see, a gem that Converse discovered gave a new depth to footwear. In 1923, Charles “Chuck” Taylor collaborated with Converse to give us the Chuck Taylor All-Stars. A timeless classic that was the turning point of how things went in the industry. That was the start of sneaker collabs we’re all so familiar with. Converse dominated the industry until the early 1960s when new competitors like Nike, Adidas, and Puma started gaining momentum.
A Quick History of Sneaker Collabs
A lot of collabs with prominent names followed the initial Converse x Chuck Taylor partnership a few decades later, the most notable being:
Adidas x Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1971)
Puma x Walt Frazier (1973)
Nike x Michael Jordan (1984)
Nike really hit the jackpot with the Air Jordan partnership. In fact, this move put Nike on the basketball map, and lowkey changes the sneaker scene. So when we talk about the sneaker industry as we know it today, we got Nike and MJ to thank for that. And for a long time, it felt like sneaker brands were only partnering up with athletes. Whether it was an attempt to create another MJ phenomenon or something else, it was always athletes. But that was about to change in a couple of years.
Music and Sneakers – The Start of Something New
Then, in 1986, Adidas introduced the first-ever music collaboration to the sneaker community. This partnership was with the musical group RUN DMC, and it opened up a path for a new category of influencers to market kicks! Because, well, music always spoke to the hearts and sneaker brands needed to get there. And honestly, “My Adidas” is a pop culture icon thanks to RUN DMC!
Even so, it took another 16 years for artist collabs and the sneaker-music mashup to become a thing. The most memorable musical partnerships are:
Jay Z x Reebok S. Carter (2002)
Sean Carter, aka Jay Z, collaborated with Reebok to produce a sneaker in his name! The timing of the collaboration was perfect and the shoes sold out very fast. Today though, Jay-Z is the creative director of Puma’s basketball division. And while Queen Bey had a deal with Adidas, it didn’t last long. And Adidas x IVY PARK is no more.
50 Cent x Reebok G6 (2004)
The shoe was a huge success upon release. It actually sold out in just days!
Kanye West x Nike (2009 – 2013)
Kanye actually collaborated with other companies, but the Nike collab is what left a huge mark on the sneaker industry. Today, all the Air Yeezys still resell for a lot more than their original value. In fact, the Nike Air Yeezy Grammys Sample is one of the most expensive sneakers ever!
Kanye West x Adidas (2014 – 2022)
The Kanye x Adidas partnership took the world by storm. Everyone is familiar with Yeezys, even if they’re not sneakerheads! Ye dominated the collaboration game ever since he dropped the first Air Yeezys in 2009. Why is that? Simply, because Kanye played the music, fashion, and exclusivity games right. Unfortunately, his… rather eccentric views and opinions were the hill he kinda died on. You see, that led to the end of his Adidas partnership and Yeezys are no more.
But the way the industry works, there’s always a new artist who’s gonna shine bright. And be it with his music, his style, or his collaborations, Travis Scott certainly managed to stand out as an artist and as an influencer!
Travis Scott Collaborations History
In 2012, the Houston rapper inked deals with rappers Kanye and T.I… From then on, he exponentially gained fame because of his talent. Naturally, we all know Travis’s collab with Nike and Jordan. But before that, we had some low-key yet interesting Travis Scott collaborations that you should know about.
Travis Scott x Reebok Classics
Reebok partnered up with Travis in 2013 for a campaign to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Reebok Classics. However, this partnership didn’t go anywhere and no sneakers were released.
Travis Scott x Helmut Lang
Unlike his over-the-top personality, the capsule Travis released with Helmut Lang was pretty minimalistic. The capsule from 2017 included t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, denim jackets, jeans, and sneakers. All garments featured the cowboy print and bull imagery as a nod to his Texan background.
Travis Scott x McDonald’s
Not a sneaker collaboration per se, but boy did it rock the streetwear industry! Besides making Travis a whopping $20 Million, fans got to enjoy the rapper’s favorite meal. In addition to that, the merch was absolutely fantastic. The creepy nugget pillow is hands-down our personal favorite. I mean, who doesn’t like to nap on a snack? It’s also worth noting that Scott is the first celebrity to get his own meal after the mighty Michael Jordan!
Unreleased Sneakers
Travis Scott Jordan Trunner LX
The 2017 Travis Scott x Jordan Trunner LX was a friends and family exclusive sneaker. The unreleased shoe served as an introduction of La Flame into the world of Nike and Jordan. The mix of white, blue, green, and orange made for eye-catching color blocking!
Fun fact: Did you know that one pair of Travis Scott Trunner LX was found at a thrift shop for $54.95?
Travis Scott Jordan 4 Purple Suede F&F
Back to exclusive friends and family releases. This release was limited to around 1,000 pairs that were all made for Travis’s entourage. The shoe features a very cool purple suede upper and is available on the resale value for a whopping $20K+!
Travis Scott Jordan 4 Olive F&F
First seen worn by Kylie Jenner right after giving birth to Stormi in 2018, the olive-toned Jordan 4 turned out to be a release limited to family and friends. No release date has been set for its release and only some of the pairs resurfaced on resale platforms.
Travis Scott Jordan 4 Cactus Jack F&F
Although it had a public release counterpart, these babies are still pretty much sought after. Why? Because of exclusivity and a slight design difference. You see, the heel on the F&F kicks features the Nike emblem instead of the Jumpman. And well, they’re currently worth a whopping average of $3,875.
Travis Scott Jordan 6 Yellow F&F
Shortly after we got the Olive Jordan 6 (see below), Travis Scott stepped out in a never-seen-before pair of AJ6s. These babies featured a mustard-color suede upper with all the same design bits. However, these kicks never dropped, and well, they’re not available anywhere unless you have a really good sneaker plug!
Travis Scott Collaborations (2017-2020)
Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 “AF100”
To celebrate Air Force 1’s 35th anniversary, Nike decided to collaborate with different names and give us the “AF100” pack. Some of the names were Virgil Abloh (CEO of Off-White), Kareem “Biggs” Burke (Co-Founder of Roc-A-Fella Records), and Travis Scott. The Travis Scott AF1 features a simple white upper with different removable swoosh logos!
The Travis Scott x AF1 dropped on October 2, 2017, for a price tag of $150. They were instant fan favorites, and still are since they have an average resale value of $1,388.
Travis Scott Jordan 4 “Cactus Jack”
The first collab between Travis and Jordan Brand that publicly dropped on June 9th, 2018. These shoes featured a light blue suede upper (let’s face it, it’s so pretty). Unlike the F&F pair we talked about earlier, these babies featured the Jumpman on the heel. This slight difference created a huge gap in resale prices. But the public pair is still worth a hefty resale value at $1,049 on average.
Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 “Sail”
Another Air Force 1 with the Travis signature “Cactus Jack” released on August 10, 2018. However, the sneakers don a sail upper instead of white with Cactus Jack patches on the laces and the removable swoosh logo on the side. The Travis Scott x Air Force 1 “Sail” retailed for $150 and is available on resale platforms for an average of $1,124.
Travis Scott Jordan 33
Boy, does Travis like his military colors or what? This shoe might not be the most popular out of his Jordan collabs, but it definitely sparked the attention of the sneaker world. When Travis Scott wears a shoe, the shoe hits, even if it’s… meh. The shoes dropped on Valentine’s Day 2019 for $185 and currently resell for $244 on average.
Travis Scott Jordan 1 Mocha
The all-time fan-favorite Air Jordan 1 came back in May 2019 for $175 with La Flame’s signature. This combination sparked the attention of both sneakerheads and ragers. With a brown and white upper and the usual famous Air Jordan 1 silhouette, the shoe is super cool! Travis left his signature with a backward Swoosh logo that adds eccentricity to the retro design. Nike shock dropped the AJ1s during the 2019 Grammy Awards to celebrate Travis’s performance! You can get your own pair now if you have $1,604 to spare.
Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low Mocha
On July 20th, 2019, Travis gave his fans the awaited Air Jordan low. He wore this one on his Astroworld tour and was different from the Grammy shoes. The backward swoosh was there, but instead of dark olive, the upper was brown and black. Red laces were also swapped for black ones. The shoes retailed for $130 but are currently reselling for an average of $1,789! Talk about success!
Fun fact: Travis gave his fans a first look at his latest Air Jordan 1 low collaboration at the 2019 Grammy Awards. The shoes featured a dark olive and black upper with the reverse swoosh and red laces. However, this exact shoe never released to the public.
Travis Scott Jordan 6 Olive
Ahem… Do we really need to introduce the shoe that left the sneaker industry buzzing about it for a while? The olive-toned shoes were supposed to release in September 2019 but the release got pushed back to October 11th, 2019. The silhouette is already a nice one, so what happens when Travis adds his touch to it? A win! However, the shoes were limited so not everyone got lucky when trying to get them, and boy did that make his fans mad! Today, you can get these babies for an average of $488.
Fun fact: The AJ6 is the first Travis Scott collab to release in full family sizing.
Travis Scott Air Force 1 “Cactus Jack”
When Travis wears it, it becomes the talk of the industry. This seems to be the norm when Travis teases fans and sneakerheads alike by wearing upcoming releases bearing his signature. Initially believed to be released in October, the Cactus Jack pair dropped in November 2019.
The shoes might not be his first Air Force 1 collaboration, but they sure are the most unique! A removable lace cover is a cool addition to any shoe. And the TX branding on the heel tab is a nod to Travis’s origins. With a very different upper, the shoes were a hit, naturally, but maybe not as much as earlier drops. You can get your pair off of the aftermarket today for an average of $477!
Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low
This was one of the most interesting Travis Scott collaborations. Not only because of the looks but because it was Scott’s first venture into the skateboarding division! But speaking of the looks, the pair rocked a sick tearable paisley upper. And honestly, we were all there for it since the rapper isn’t a stranger to customizable kicks. Some of the kicks also came in a special Nike SB box to spice things up. You can find the regular Dunks for $1,598, while the special box goes for $1,548 on average!
Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React
The last of the Travis Scott collaborations certainly left fans in a daze. This release looked super experimental and we loved it! Although people initially welcomed it with mixed emotions, the pair was a natural success. We should also give credit to the marketing department because they did one heck of a job! The whole cactus trails theme ruled with the matching accessories and website. But of course, we were all interested in the actual kicks which resell for around $361 today!
Travis Scott Collabs (2020-2023)
Travis Scott Jordan 6 British Khaki
Although it wasn’t as successful as its olive counterpart, the Jordan 6 British Khaki still sold out. And while it’s not as valuable on the aftermarket as other kicks, these babies can still make some decent profit! You can currently flip the pair for $379 on average.
Fragment x Travis Scott Jordan 1 High
What’s better than a two-way collaboration? A three-way collaboration! And when it’s about Fragment, Cactus Jack, and the Swoosh, you know it’s gonna be good. Now, many sneakerheads agree that this is one of the best Travis Scott collaborations of the year! And well, an average resale value of $2,234 certainly reinforces that belief.
Fragment x Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low
Just as the high-top version made a ripple in the industry, the lows are totally eye-catchers. These babies featured all the same details as the high-top version but catered to different tastes. Anyway, these babies certainly are worth a bucketload of money in resale just like the highs. And well, $1,453 on average is a pretty impressive number!
Travis Scott Air Max 1 Wheat/Baroque Brown/Saturn Gold
We all know how Travis Scott collaborations are usually hits. The Air Max 1 colorways were relatively a miss in comparison to previous drops. However, these babies were certainly a hit if you compare them to regular Air Max 1 drops. Now, in terms of aftermarket value, we gotchu. The wheat colorway is worth $430, the baroque browns $381, and the Saturn golds go for $268.
Travis Scott Air Trainer 1 SP Chocolate/Grey Haze
If you considered the Air Max 1s a flop, then you definitely didn’t see the Air Trainer 1s coming. You see, if you’re looking for an affordable pair of Travis Scott collaborations, that’s your pair. The Air Trainer 1 Chocolate is worth $155, while the grey haze colorway goes for under retail at $132!
Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low Reverse Mocha
After a brief stint of not-really-successful kicks, the hot Travis Scott collaborations were back! And what’s a better pair than the Jordan 1 Low to keep things spicy? The Jordan 1 Low Reverse Mocha was the reverse colorway of the OG Jordan 1 Low Mocha. So you kinda see the attraction here, don’t you? These babies are currently worth $1,123 on average!
Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low Black Phantom
Let us tell you this: sneakerheads had mixed feelings about the all-black Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low. And that kinda reflected in the resale value of the kicks. You see the kicks are currently worth $656, which kinda makes them the most affordable collaborative AJ1s!
Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low Olive (W)
This was allegedly the last Jordan 1 silhouette that Travis and JB were gonna give us. And well, a women’s exclusive was a first among the list of very long collaborative pairs. If you missed this drop, you can get your pair for $678 on average on the aftermarket.
Travis Scott Air Force 1 Utopia
Last but not least, you didn’t expect La Flame to drop his latest album without some kinda bang, right? And this time, the bang came in the shape of a co-branded Air Force 1! You can take a look at the whole story here. What you need to know though is that the kicks are currently worth $300 in resale.
What Does Cactus Jack Have in Store for Sneakerheads?
You see, the Jordan 1 Olive Low was the last Jordan collab, but not for the reasons you think. It’s because Travis Scott is gonna get his own signature silhouette! That would be the Jorddan Cut the Check. You can take a look at everything we know about the kicks here. But what matters is that the kicks are certainly gonna be worth investing in! Now, here’s everything you should know before investing in sneakers.
But Why Are Travis Scott Collaborations This Desirable?
Is the limited stock what’s making the shoes so hyped? Travis Scott collaborations are generally pretty exclusive and hard to get ahold of. And eventually, most pairs go to resellers who are making thousands of dollars flipping the kicks.
Is it his music? Travis has undeniably left his mark on the music industry and collaborated with a lot of big names like T.I., Drake, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Ed Sheeran. Nowadays, artists and musicians have a bigger impact on Millenials than athletes.
Was his relationship with Kylie Jenner a factor? Like them or not, the Kardashians have built a beauty empire and gained a HUGE following. With Kylie and Travis being a couple, it sure made them both win over the hearts of millions. After all, Kylie has her own huge reputation and fame, and rocking the kicks was certainly enough marketing to get them out into the world.
Do the colorways, style, and military-inspired details have anything to do with the shoes’ popularity? We cannot deny that all the Travis Scott collaborations till now are candy to the eye! Nike heads are always eager to find a huge collab to support too. Especially in the absence of a collab as big as “The Ten” collection and the rise of Yeezys in 2019.
What we do know for now is that Travis is not showing any sign of stopping anytime soon. And why should he? Every collab is selling out in record times and people want MORE! And the latest proof of that is the upcoming signature shoe. So keep it locked on our blog for more info!
