When the Complex Sneakers staff first started ranking this list, we started at the number 2 spot. It was conceived with Travis Scott in mind as the number one collaborator, and there really wasn’t another option that was close. Today’s sneaker landscape is vastly different than it was when Travis first began working with Nike in 2017. The resale market was clicking on all cylinders and the hype behind collaborations like Kaws x Air Jordan 4s, Virgil Abloh’s Off-White “The Ten” collection, and Tom Sachs’ Nike Mars Yards was dominating the headlines.
Since then, things have changed. Collabs aren’t hitting as hard, certain sneakers aren’t selling out, and Jordan 1 colorways that would have been close to $1,000 seven or eight years ago are flipping for retail or sometimes even less. That is, unless you are Travis Scott. He seems to be the only collaborator out there right now that still sells out just about every sneaker he has his name on, and most of them still flip for at least double their retail value. On top of that, he just entered rare company with the release of his own signature sneaker, a retro trainer-inspired model that goes by many names. Whether you call it the Jumpman Jack, the CJ1 T-Rexx, the Cut The Check, or something else entirely, there is no denying the power that the Cactus Jack rapper brings to sneakers.
If that wasn’t enough, another signature model is on its way as well, the Nike Zoom Field Jaxx. The Spiridon-bottom silhouette that saw Travis recruit legend Ken Griffey Jr. and current baseball stars Bo Bichette and Randy Arozarena. That’s far from the first time that he’s teamed up with other power players; he tapped WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley (the original Cactus Jack) for his Air Max 270, Randy Moss for his first Air Jordan 6, and Richard Hamilton for his second.
Simply put, Travis Scott, Nike, and Jordan Brand have basically everything working in their favor. The demand is there (Travis continues to set records on the SNKRS app), the quantity is there, the sought-after silhouettes are there, and Travis continues to be one of the most popular rappers on the planet. No other hip hop artist is consistently selling out arenas like he is right now. And no other collaborator is more powerful in the sneaker space than him. —Ben Felderstein
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