Here’s how Travis Scott became the most influential celebrity in the sneaker world

Travis Scott is arguably the biggest celebrity influence in the world right now, and with good reason.

But how did he get to where he is today, and what is his influence towards the younger generation? The performing artist has an insanely large fanbase thanks to the music he released alongside crazy antics during his live shows. A performer and entertainer at heart, Scott is slowly becoming a music legend in his own right.

However, that isn’t just where Scott is well-known for these days. Much like his career in music, Scott can do no wrong when it comes to sneakers. And to think, this only started out in 2017.

It all began somewhere

Scott’s first-ever collaboration with Nike came in the form of the iconic Air Force 1 silhouette for the “AF100” pack. This was in collaboration with other designers like Virgil Abloh, Kareem “Biggs” Burke of Roc-A-Fella Records, Errolson Hugh of ACRONYM, and Don C. This was Scott’s first real taste of working with Nike and it only went upwards from there.

Being a true sneakerhead at heart and one with the culture, Scott is always seen in various Air Jordans and other Nike sneakers like the SB Dunks and Air Force 1s. But it wasn’t until 2018 when Scott finally got the chance to create his very own Air Jordans. He started off with the Jordan 4s, drawing inspiration from former NFL franchise the Houston Oilers. Fast forward to a year later and we get to his third signature shoe with Nike and his second Air Jordan. This time around, it’s the ever-iconic Jordan 1. This is also the first time a Jordan 1 features a new design in the form of the ‘reverse swoosh’, which has gone on to become one of the biggest sneakers in the world. If that wasn’t enough, the sneaker also came in a Jordan 1 Low variant as opposed to the high-cut that is a standard for Jordan 1s.

Other sneakers that further cemented Scott’s place as one of the biggest names in the industry include unreleased pieces like the army green Jordan 6s as well as the grey and purple Jordan 4s. Scott has also released a new variant for the Air Force 1, the SB Dunk Low, and the Air Max 270 React, all of which have been his latest releases to date.

But that isn’t all — aside from designing his own sneakers, Scott has also graced cover shoots with his most notable work being the face of the Dior x Jordan collection. Seeing Scott rocking the entire collection was enough to send fans into a frenzy, even more so with the direction that Dior took for the Jordan brand.

The new ‘Ye?

If that isn’t proof enough that Scott is a big influence when it comes to fashion and sneakers, you only have to go as far as his Instagram page. In a post dated July 31st, Scott is seen wearing the latest ‘Newcastle Brown Ale’ Nike SB Dunks. Just hours after the post was published, the price on the resell market of the very same sneakers shot up over 40%, according to StockX. If this sounds all too familiar, it’s because Kanye West had the same effect on his followers when he was spotted rocking the Adidas Ultraboost 1.0.

Of course, you know what happened after that.

Besides his take on sneakers and streetwear, Scott has also been involved in the many pop culture movements of 2020. One of the biggest was his virtual concert with Fortnite, which brought in over 10.7 million players from around the world. To say Scott is one of the biggest pop culture influences of our time is an understatement; he’s already shown that he is one of the world’s biggest celebrity influencers of this modern-day era of social media.

This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur.