Jordan 1 x Travis Scott

Air Jordan 1 x Travis Scott

Travis Scott began his partnership with Jordan Brand back in 2017, when the pair worked together to produce a version of the Jordan Trunner LX that he would go on to wear as he toured with Kendrick Lamar in the summer of that year. It was another two years before the American rapper put out his first Air Jordan 1 release as he had spent time working on a series of other designs in the meantime, such as the Nike Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 4. This initial Jordan 1 High x Travis Scott, which was known as the Mocha, saw a typically stylish start to the string of Highs and Lows that the pair would go on to create. It combined top-quality white leather with luxurious brown suede alongside an unconventional black swoosh on its lateral side which had been reversed to face in the opposite direction to the logo on other Nike and Jordan sneakers. His future AJ1 collaborations would become known for this idiosyncratic alteration, as well as the presence of various Cactus Jack motifs to represent the singer’s record label of the same name, giving them their own unique appearance.

Later in 2019, Scott himself was seen on stage wearing a low-top version of the previous High sneaker, this time in a green and black colourway with a white reverse swoosh. Though this was never released, it signified that the popular musician was working on low-top designs, and fans were soon given a Jordan 1 Low x Travis Scott that they could actually get their hands on. The dapper new sneaker was named the Dark Mocha, due to its use of smooth black nubuck alongside khaki-coloured suede, and was adorned with a large white leather reverse swoosh for a bold look.  

This sneaker set the tone for the Jordan 1 x Travis Scott collaborations that were to come in the 2020s as a series of sellout low-top designs were released in the early part of the decade. Starting this run of shoes was a collaboration that added a third creative party to the group in the form of another longstanding Nike collaborator, Hiroshi Fujiwara and his streetwear brand, Fragment Design. The Jordan 1 Low x Travis Scott x Fragment was an incredibly appealing Retro sneaker with a black and white upper and bright blue highlights around the heel and collar. All of those involved in this remarkable collaboration were honoured on its outer, which had Cactus Jack logos on the left heel, Air Jordan and Fragment emblems on the right and the classic Nike Air text sewn into the tongue label. This Low version of the Air Jordan 1 x Travis Scott x Fragment was accompanied by a high-top sneaker that reversed the colour palette of its counterpart by using white as the main layer in the forefoot, midfoot and heel and black across the swooshes and the extended collar, with blue highlights in the toe and heel completing the look.

In 2022, just one year after the Fragment collaboration, two new Air Jordan 1 Low x Travis Scott sneakers were added to the collection. In July, the Sail and Ridgerock colourway came out, firstly through a raffle on Scott’s website, then via the SNKRS app, where it broke records by accruing 3.8 million entries. Also known as the Reverse Mocha, it had an upper with premium white leather sat beside rich brown nubuck, while Sail finished off the colour scheme on its midsole and backwards swoosh. Next was the Black Phantom, which had a sleek, all-black suede upper and a sole unit in matching tones. White stitching provided the perfect contrast against this dark surface, as did the white motifs on the heel panels – the Air Jordan wings on the right foot and a beetle emblem on the left that symbolises progress, stability, love and nature. As well as the men’s design, this darker sneaker was available in kid’s models as well, making the Jordan 1 x Travis Scott accessible for all ages. 

This trend continued into 2023 as more low-top AJ1s were revealed. The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG Olive colourway was made in women’s and kid’s sizes for an April release, once again employing smooth, earthy hues to create a classy design. Like some of the earlier shoes, it had a retro-looking Sail midsole, but this one was placed atop a deep olive green outsole. The sidewall swooshes featured the same tone, and red highlighted the branding effects across its black and white upper. A couple of months later, the Jordan 1 Low Golf x Travis Scott was teased, adding another dimension to the series. Its outer was somewhat lighter than the previous offerings, but the use of premium materials remained. Neutral Olive nubuck formed the base, with off-white overlays in the forefoot and heel. The reverse swoosh was black, the conventional one on the medial flank white, and a pale lime green tongue patch with the Jordan silhouette sewn into it rounded out the look. 

In the years since Travis Scott first partnered with Jordan, he has created some of the most coveted of all the brand’s collaborations. Of these, his remarkable Air Jordan 1 sneakers have been incredibly popular, selling out almost instantly and even breaking records along the way. As he continues to work on more and more designs for the brand, he may deviate to other models, but his AJ1s will always remain a highly sought after collection of iconic sneakers.