Return of the Flame: The Travis Scott CACT.US Collection

Is his Mode finally Sicko again?

Return of Travis

5 November 2021, a date that the entertainment world will never forget. Travis Scott at his epitome of hype performs at his own Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas. A massive crowd surge results in 10 deaths, dozens of injuries, and an outcry of the public for lack of concert safety. Travis Scott disappears from the scene for months, only sporadically returning to social media to talk about the event and discuss future plans to mitigate anything like this happening ever again. The Travis x Nike collab gets postponed indefinitely, his project with Dior cancelled altogether. Was the Travis-era over?

Apparently not. While the discussion around the legitimacy of his comeback is highly controversial and a topic for another time, Travis and Nike are set to release their next collaboration on 27 May 2022. Labeled CACT.US Corp, the collection features two brand-new Air Max 1 silhouettes, two Nike Air Trainer colorways, and a collection of apparel and accessories. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming release.

Apparel

Designed for the “unpredictability of everyday exploration”, this collection of clothes and accessories takes a highly techwear-inspired approach, focusing on utility and adventure-readiness in their design.

The GORE-TEX jackets in beige and black feature wind resistance and waterproof materials, protecting you against all climates. Manufactured from 75% recycled polyester, the sturdy materials also highlight Nike’s move towards a circular economy with sustainability in mind.

However, the most controversial feature of these jackets will keep you focused on nature at all times. A signal-blocking pocket for your mobile device will prevent any incoming signals to your phone, essentially leaving you disconnected from social media and mobile communication. What the purpose of this feature really entails remains up to speculation. Whether it’s just a gimmicky accessory to stimulate discussion, or a statement against the metaverse from Travis, the signal-blocking pocket may be fun to have, but simultaneously could result in inaccessibility during emergency events.

The collection also features a gorgeous cropped women’s pullover crew sweatshirt, that lets you adapt to changing temperature. How this works exactly is yet to be discovered, but according to Nike, it “lets you go from cozy warm to cooling off in seconds”. Interesting…

The remaining pieces include shirts, long-sleeves, a military-inspired Gilet Vest, shorts, trousers, and a quarter-zip, all in the theme of the earth-inspired colour scheme. It’s got the Travis signature look, quality is Nike (at least better than Gildan), and there are no crazy graffiti logos on any pieces. Overall, a decent addition to the footwear collection.

Air Trainer 1

The Nike Air Trainer 1 has seen its peaks and troughs throughout the years, but remains a classic silhouette with immense design potential. Travis realized this potential, and created his own take on the silhouette, completely reimagining the look from scratch.

Once again designed for the “unpredictability of everyday exploration”, the sneaker features a Travis-signature zip-pocket on the heel, a removable shroud that can be stowed away in the tongue pocket, and a Yeezy-inspired forefoot strap to keep your feet where they belong. Nods to Travis and CACT.US can be found on the strap, heel, and insole. To finish off the design with a La Flame signature, the medial upper features the renowned reversed swoosh, as seen on Travis’ takes on the Air Jordan 1.

While I’m personally not the biggest fan of the Air Trainer 1, Travis has taken the best features of the sneaker and propagated them over the entire silhouette. A utility-focused design with a heavy Air Yeezy 1 inspiration and intricately chosen colour schemes may become one of the more hyped silhouettes of the season.

Air Max 1

Certainly the most anticipated part of this collaboration. We’ve seen Travis’ takes on the Air Jordan 1 High, The Air Force 1, the SB Dunk Low, tackling the most iconic Nike silhouettes. There was always one missing. The epitome of classic sneakers, the historical Air Max 1.

The sneaker has been making waves on social media for almost a year, when news about the possible collab first surfaced. Dozens of sneak-peeks, leaks, and early samples flooded the gram, and sneakerheads couldn’t hold their excitement back.

First Look at the Travis Scott Air Max 1 (Back in 2021)

The collab will now finally see the light of day. The Travis Scott Air Max 1 will drop in two earth-toned colourways, both featuring a completely redesigned upper. Constructed from leather, suede, and mesh, the upper draws inspiration from the Nike ACG Pocket Knife silhouette. Drawstrings adorn the upper through a Gillie lacing system, complementing the new lacing system to hide the eyelets. Travis and CACT.US labeling can be found on the tongue, heel, and insole. Naturally the sneaker would be no real Travis collab without the reversed swoosh. While the medial side maintains the usual revealing swoosh, the lateral side of the sneaker boasts a large reversed swoosh as the top layer.

Nike ACG "Pocket Knife" (1999) vs Nike Travis Scott Air Max 1 (2022)

While the Gold version is absolutely clean and definitely a wearable sneaker, it’s colour scheme is somewhat monotone and less in the theme of the overall collection. The “Brown” (previously “Baroque Brown”) adds a more diverse tonal colour scheme on the upper, blending earthy tones with striking red details.

The shoe will unarguably only grow in demand, expect hype levels similar to the Jordan 1 or the Air Force 1.

Which pieces of the collaboration are you planning to cop? Let us know in the comments below.

By Freddy Schwoerer of Drip Drops