Travis Scott is the man. Literally, everything that the man touches is gold. His recent Jordan 1 X Fragment collabs are selling like hotcakes–even at a ridiculous selling price tag! But then, even the most genius of artists will have that little set of footnotes in their catalog that would say “What was I thinking?”
Granted, his Jordans, his Dunks, and even his Air Force 1s were really pushing the envelope of design, there are things that you don’t really have to do much on. When classics exist still regardless of age, they’ve lasted so long because they are intended to be that way- to be appreciated by the future generation.
Don’t get us twisted, we are fans of his sneakers. Whoever his design team is, are doing a hell of a job with them. But then, we just are not super sold on the upcoming Travis Scott Air Max 1. This is just a case of “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it!”
See, the Nike Air Max 1 is a shoe designed by Tinker Hatfield himself that bears so much history. Coming strong from the ’80s where an exposed air bubble is totally unheard of, the shoe is a masterpiece by itself. Similar to the Chicago Jordan 1s or Breds, this is a shoe that cannot be touched that much. Remember when Nike did all sorts of things on them? They didn’t work— because people wanted the damn shoe as it is.
See that Black and Pink Air Max 1? That’s a Tinker Hatfield concept. It looks different but then, it respects the shoe. It’s just a Nike ID. Simple doesn’t mean lazy. Busy doesn’t mean it works.
Unlike say, the Jordan 1s or the Dunks where it’s just a matter of changing a bit to the shoe just to give it something new like the colors and minor tweaks, we do admit the reverse Swoosh is a nice touch. This new Travis Scott Air Max 1, however, is basically too much for the sneaker to handle. The mesh panels and suede outlines just work perfectly- why the extra ones? It’s just too busy!
Why revise such a nice silhouette? Why?
Compared to their other shoe counterparts, this is both underwhelming AND overwhelming. The first one is that there is so much potential in just making it a nod to the classics, and the second one being that there is too many changes going on, it looks like a new Nike sneaker. If that’s the case, then they should’ve just called it a Travis Scott runner; it’s just a bit disrespectful to the OG versions. Maybe it takes a little time to get used to but no.
The back portion is where it’s hard to take in the most. That Nike Air logo is GONE! It’s as if the Houston-based rapper just stomped on the Air Max. Of course, this is just an opinion but knowing how hardcore the Air Max fans are, this is not a good look. Too many changes on a tried and tested shoe.
But then come the release date for all the versions, we’re betting they are flying off the shelves- not because of the design, but because it’s Travis Scott. In this day and age where association and branding are king, it also pays to have your own stand on things. Case closed.
Priced at $160, the series of Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack” sneakers are to arrive sometime this holiday season. Is the set a cop or drop for you? Let us know by commenting below.
Speaking of Travis Scott sneakers, one of us managed to get the recently dropped Fragment Highs for retail!
