VERSUS: Is Travis Scott's Nike Air Max 270 React His Best Colab Yet?
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Travis Scott may already rule ASTROWORLD, but his recent exploits with Nike have also positioned him as the arguable collaboration king of the sneakersphere.
It’s been a rapid rise for La Flame since he revealed his oddball Jordan Trunner LX in 2017, with subsequent releases helping to solidify his position as one of the highest collaborators in the room!
That said, his latest Swoosh creation – the Air Max 270 React ‘Cactus Trail’ – is a prickly piece to say the least, with the community divided on the big-bubbled build. It may not end up breaking the Internet like his SB Dunk Low, but one SF writer thinks it’s Travis’ best work yet.
Are they completely trippin’? You decide. Make your vote count below!
La Flame's burnt out, baby. This is his most cooked colab yet.
No way, dude. Travis has never been higher in my books. This is his best work yet with Nike. Straight up.
For real? Over the Air Jordan 6? That's Travis Scott's tour-de-force! Luxe materials, glow-in-the-dark soles, and even a stash pocket! And he's released plenty of other, better silhouettes with more narrative flair and unique aesthetic. The Houston Oilers Air Jordan 4 combined his love of sports while tying his topographical love of the area, and the rodeo'd Air Jordan 1 was arguably the best sneaker release of 2019! What's wrong with you? Isolation got you T.R.I.P.P.I.N.G. Your brain done flipped like a Swoosh, sir.
It's easy to ride on the clout of a classic silhouette, but taking an underrated model and reworking it for the better is always a challenge – so that's the W in my books. The Air Max 270 has never looked better! It's not even about the hype – he's definitely created something unique here.
The wavey tooling adds a fresh dimension to the upper - it looks like a new shoe altogether! With a touch of 270 DNA, of course. And details like the worn-in aesthetic and fluffy lining aren't cheap, in-your-face additions – they are considered homages to Travis' love for vintage garbs. No need for a pointless stash pocket!
If all that doesn't impress you, anyone who manages to make brown, tan, blue and red look good together, deserves respect.
Look, not even the JACKBOYS can make the Air Max 270 relevant. The thing looks biologically wrong. It looks like Randy Moss fished it out of the swamp. Does Travis Scott have dysentery? WTF is going on?
I mean, I appreciate the man's designs. He managed to make Jordan Brand's newer models somewhat relevant with the Air Jordan 33. Plus he was one of the central reasons we're seeing the Dunk resurgence. His work with DIY models like the Air Force 1 have had major influence, and even the Trunner LX had its peculiar appeal. But an Air Max 270? With a f**king spray gun? C'mon. Surely that's about 10 steps too far… back.
I would've preferred a big ol' Air Max 720, TBH.
He wasn't even trying with all those colabs, dawg. Reversing the Swoosh on the AJ1? Adding bandana textile to the Dunk? Totally JACKing Eminem on his AJ4? Yawn.
The Air Max 270 is the first time he's brought something truly memorable to the sneaker world. Even the storytelling is there on this occasion. You seen the Cactus Trails microsite? I ain't gonna argue with Mick Foley.
At least I won't need to bust out the Mick's mandible claw in order to cop a pair. This could be the easiest Travis cop to date. And there probably won't be a thousand customisers trying to 'craft' their own versions. The 270 has got its own thing goin' on. Finessing something with no hype and turning into something fire ain't easy, and La Flame's really turned up the heat on this one.
The easiest to date? Travis Scott could collaborate on dental floss and it'd still be impossible to cop – no matter how good your plug is, or how bad your teeth are…
The only positive thing coming from this 270 is a lower resale price, I'm guessing. Where does he go from here? Seriously, Travis Scott is just becoming fodder for the resale market.
Look, if you wanna keep riding on AJ1s and Dunks, be my guest. The collaborative sneaker landscape was stagnating, but Travis' 270 is definitely steering things towards SICKO MODE once again.
I won't disagree on feeling SICKO MODE.
Who took the w?
It's time to have your say on the issue of the day!
Voting stays open for a week after each VERSUS battle. Stay tuned to @sneakerfreakermag or check back here for the final result!