It was hard to spot amongst the fire and the rage. But thanks to Getty Images, Travis Scott was wearing his brand-new, original Jordan trainers during his recent Grammys performance.
That same shoe that was the centre of the Travis Scott x Jordan commercial (embedded below) which aired during the ad breaks of the award show.
Jumpman Jack is its name. And it's ready to take on any activity imaginable—basketball, boxing, snowboarding, clubbing, you name it—apparently.
“The all-new Jumpman Jack attacks every challenge life throws down,” reads the description under the ad posted by the official Jordan Brand account on YouTube.
It's inspired by Travis Scott's “non-stop lifestyle as an elite performance athlete”. And built to create “traction, comfort and confidence when embracing day-to-day extremes”.
Bold claims. But since the sneaker was able to withstand Scott's vigorous jerking across his dystopian set at the Crypto.com arena last Sunday (here's a clip), there's a possibility that the sneaker really is as practical, durable and versatile as Jordan Brand claims it is.
Essentially, the Jumpman Jack is an amalgamation of Nike's most popular sports and lifestyle silhouettes. Particularly those of the basketball and skateboarding genres.
It's substantial but not bulky, tall but not boot-like and concurrently retro and modern.
And it's all about layers.
At the top is a sizeable velcro strap complete with an embossed emblem that's positioned over the laces. It's a component that feels very nineties, the era in which Scott was born and raised. It also harks back to Scott's Nike Air Trainer 1 from 2022.
A layer down we have a reverse swoosh. This is the calling card of the Travis Scott x Jordan collab—on the sidewall. The decorative element that protrudes from the lateral sidewall (there's an unreversed swoosh on the medial side) comes in sail on this first colourway, a creamy hue that complements the tread's chocolate brown canvas and white leather upper, as well as the gum outsole that bleeds onto the midsole.
Behind the laces, a brown tumbled leather tongue (reminiscent of that of the Air Jordan 3) is seen. It's finished with a red embroidered version of the Jumpman logo. Red is only otherwise found on the embroidery located on the heel. That comes in the form of a Cactus Jack face motif many will recognise from previous Travis Scott drops, such as last year's Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low 'Olive'.
Like that wasn't enough to get excited about, the outsole of the sneak is printed with the name 'Jack' in a handwritten typeface. It's another detail that feels very nineties as many will associate the design choice with 1995's Toy Story (because, you know, Andy writes his name on the feet of Buzz and Woody).
Following his performance, Scott dropped a very limited quantity of Jumpman Jacks on his eponymous website, meaning you will surely start spotting pairs on your socials and sneaker marketplaces in the coming weeks.
A shock drop like this usually indicates that a general release is just around the corner (rumours are pointing to Tuesday 5 March), so check back soon for more information.
Originally published on Esquire UK
Audemars Piguet has just announced details of a new collaboration with Cactus Jack, the record label and brand founded by US hip-hop icon Travis Scott. The new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Limited Edition is made from brown ceramic—a signature Cactus Jack colour and a first for Audemars Piguet.
It has been nicknamed ‘The Chocolate AP’ by Scott, apparently a call-back to—or a pre-emptive bit of marketing in—the song ‘Meltdown’ on his recent album Utopia. The 41mm self-winding watch incorporates a number of design elements which refer to Cactus Jack graphics.
The typography of the calendar and week indications is based on a hand-drawn model by Scott. The hands of the day sub-dial form the shape of the Cactus Jack logo. Meanwhile, the brand’s trademark smiley face-with-its-mouth-sewn-shut takes the place of the moon phase at 6 o’clock. Its luminescent coating glows blue in the dark.
The calendar indications, with the exception of the week indication, glow green. The new elements extend to the strap. Made of calfskin, with a pink gold folding clasp engraved with the signatures ‘Audemars Piguet’ and ‘Travis Scott’.
The watch is powered by AP’s skeletonised Calibre 5135 movement which automatically takes into account the number of days in the month and correctly displays the date, even during leap years. Providing it remains wound, it will not require manual adjustment until 2100.
The watch is the latest in a series of high-profile collaborations for the brand, following on from musician and producer Mark Ronson, fashion designer Matthew Williams and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Watchmaking, to me, is the ultimate combo of engineering, fashion, tech and design,” says Travis Scott. “A harmony of precision, craftsmanship and perfect timing. I approached this collaboration similar to sampling or starting a beat, taking inspiration from the classics while introducing innovation to push them into the future. I’m beyond amped about the results, a first ever for the iconic Royal Oak.”
