Style
Travis Scott and Nike finally announce their Air Max 270 with an awesome website
The '90s design is just as dope as the sneakers.
Images of Travis Scott's latest collaboration with Nike have been surfacing since the top of the year, but only now are the two heavyweights finally making an official announcement. Their Air Max 270 is officially called the "Cactus Trails" and maintains the same pre-worn design we've already seen.
Perhaps to counteract the lack of excitement that comes with familiarity, the two brands announced the sneaker via an awesome retro website optimized for Netscape Navigator 4.x and Internet Explorer 4.x. The '90s web design touts a fictional "Desert Escape Kit" that also includes a pair of pre-worn socks and a "bag of real shoe sand." But that's not all. They went all out to make Cactus Trails Trading Co. a fully formed and totally fake webstore that's a blast to explore.
But first, the kicks — Maybe you don't care about all the frills. Maybe you don't even care about the shoes, which have been maligned by some sneakerheads since they first surfaced because of the simulated wear. I personally loved the kicks from the jump and think they're the best Travis Scott collab yet, and the old school webstore only piques my interest more.
On top of the trail aesthetics, the design is also intended to channel Scott's affinity for vintage apparel. Polar fleece comprises the collar, and the sand blasted effect on the upper and oxidation of the Air unit was done with a tint Sulphur dye. Cactus Jack branding appears on a custom cross heel loop, as well as on the mismatched insoles.
Preschool and toddler versions eschew the aged look and feature a reverse swoosh exclusive to the smaller sizes.
You've gotta poke around the website — This thing is packed with hilarious features, from fake products like Cactus Trails trail mix with "real cactus" and a "pre-made fire" kit to small design details like "Document: lit." A "Swoosh trail marker" can actually be printed out, and there's a clip for a Cactus Trails Escape audio book that's mildly entertaining. But don't let me spoil it all, take a gander yourself and add tBuo the count of "ragers who have visited this page."
There's clothing, too — The collection, which will release May 29 through retailers listed here, will also include a run of hoodies, sweatpants, and T-shirts with added cargo pockets to continue the outdoors aesthetic. But to borrow Scott's parlance and keep it straight up, the sneakers are far superior. The pockets feel tacked on in a way that's not too useful, more novelty than viable outdoor apparel. And yes, the sneakers are very much a novelty as well, but I'll die on an equally fabricated hill to say that it works.
