Can Travis Scott's Collaborations With Nike Rival Kanye West's Yeezy Line?

Sneakerpurveyors like Nike and Adidas are no strangers to collaborations. Over theyears, the top brands in the industry have collaborated with countless athletesand celebrities to bring unique sneaker offerings to market. Some partnershipshave been more successful than others. Nike’scollaboration with Michael Jordan has been so successful, for example, thatold shoes have sold on auction blocks for hundreds of thousands of dollars. KanyeWest’s Yeezy sub-brand sells out in hours every time a new sneaker isreleased, and Travis Scott, who is a part of the Kardashian family tree, too, hasalso inspired fervor in sneaker fans. Can Scott’s collaborations with Nikesurpass the popularity of West’s Yeezys? It seems possible. At the very least,he seems to be enjoying the same amount of success.

Why are Travis Scott’s Nike collaborations so successful?

In November 2019, Scott and Nike released a version of the Air Force 1 that sent sneaker fans into a frenzy. Using multiple fabrics and colors, Scott completely reimagined the classic shoe. It sold out in hours, and the resale of the sneakers surged. Even today, several months after its original release, the shoe is selling at a markup of 200% its retail price. He followed up that success in February 2020 with a reimagined Nike Dunk. The shoe, which features a combination of suede, paisley canvas, and plaid, sold out in minutes. They retailed for $160 but can be found on resale sights for more than $1,000.

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So, what makes him so successful? Yu-Ming Wu, the chiefmarketing officer for Stadium Goods, sat down with GQto discuss Scott’s success. He told the publication that Scott has created the “perfectstorm.” He has a dedicated following of fans who don’t just like his music, butlike his style, too. Wu also suggested that Scott has a lot of business savvy.He’s chosen to reimagine some of Nike’s most popular styles. In doing so, he’sconjuring up feelings of nostalgia for older sneaker fans, while educating anew generation of the subculture, argued Wu.

Why is the Yeezy brand so successful?

West’s success in the sneaker world is an interesting casestudy. West’s first release with Adidas was tied to nothing but West’s celebrity.The silhouette was completely new, and the release wasn’t attached to analready successful line. So, how did it take off? Voxtheorizes that the success of the Yeezy brand is mostly a marketing marvel. Thesneakers were released in small batches, with the first drop offering just9,000 pairs to consumers.

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Celebrities jumped on the bandwagon quickly, giving the shoea lot of free press, and each subsequent release has been met with more andmore fervor. Jay-Z has been seen sporting Yeezy’s, and theKardashian clan is regularly seen wearing them, too. West originallyreleased shoes slowly, but the brand has grown exponentially. He has a new goalnow, he wants his sneaker brand to turn into a $1 billion company, and morereleases could get him to that goal. In June and July 2020, six incarnations ofhis iconic shoes are expected to release. More are slated for later in the year.

Who has the more popular sneakers, Kanye West or TravisScott?

It’s hard to say who is creating a better pair of shoes. Sneakerheadscan debate the value of the Scott collaborations and West’s designs for days. Thetwo can’t really be compared, though. What Scott is accomplishing and what Westhas accomplished are two completely different things. Scott is reimaginingexisting, iconic styles. West is creating an entirely new shoe from the groundup, and both avenues bring value to the sneaker game.

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What can be said is that both Scott and West are wildlysuccessful fashion icons, and they are both bringing their own flavor to the worldof sneakers. Will Scott’s popularity surpass the popularity of theYeezy brand? It’s hard to say. It’s possible that Scott could see the same levelof success if he chooses to parlay his collaboration with Nike into his own, uniqueline. That hasn’t happened yet, though. Fans, however, are surely waiting forit.

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