It’s really happening: Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 collaboration is finally set for a full-scale official release this weekend. Although they first debuted just over half a year ago, their near-omnipresence in the streetwear and pop culture headlines combined with Scott’s wild popularity make it feel as if we’ve been waiting for La Flame’s backward Swoosh-equipped kicks for an eternity. Now that the day’s almost upon us, we’re looking back over the past six months-plus, and revisiting some of the touch points that helped build the hype around these beauties to the mammoth level it’s at today. From celebrity on-foot sightings to custom cleats, sneak peeks to shock drops, following these Cactus Jack kicks has certainly been an Astroworld-level roller coaster ride up to this point, and it’ll all culminate in just a few days. Run through a detailed timeline of the events that led up to this point below, and check out our Travis Scott Jordan 1 Buyer’s Guide as well for your best chance at securing a pair this weekend for $175.
October 15th, 2018
Scott gives the world a first look at his Air Jordan 1 collaboration via a grainy, close-up Instagram stories video with a “Still Cooking” caption.
November 8th, 2018
Kicking off the Astroworld tour, La Flame sports his Air Jordan 1 “Cactus Jack” liberally, making it a key part of his on-stage wardrobe and stoking excitement on each and every stop.
November 11th, 2018
DJ Khaled gives the world a first full look at the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 by way of an Instagram post.
February 3rd, 2019
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 takes the stage at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show in a pair of Scott’s Air Jordan 1s with their alternate pink laces. Although many expect a shock drop of the shoes to occur when La Flame joins Maroon 5 on stage, there’s no release.
February 10th, 2019
On the night of Travis’ Grammy performance, official images of the famed shoes surface, providing a comprehensive look at the design while serving as a possible hint of a surprise release. The sneaker sleuths were right: a release happened immediately after the performance via Nike SNKRS.
April 1st, 2019
Odell Beckham Jr makes his much anticipated introductory press conference with the Cleveland Browns, mere weeks after the New York Giants traded him away. On OBJ’s feet for the big day? The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1, a perfect match for his new team’s colors.
April 18th, 2019
Could kids-sized pairs be in the works? While teasing a closer look at his Air Jordan 6 “Cactus Jack” on Instagram, Scott also shows off the heel of what appears to be a toddler-sized version of his collabs.
April 19th, 2019
During the Jordan Brand Classic 2019 in Las Vegas, Scott makes a surprise unannounced appearance and gifts signed pairs of the Air Jordan 1 “Cactus Jack” to the participating athletes.
April 30th, 2019
Clint Frazier of the New York Yankees, who had been slowly gaining a reputation in sneaker circles for his customized on-field footwear, shows off a pair of AJ1 cleats created by independent company @customcleats.
April 30th, 2019
This date also marked Travis Scott’s birthday, and once again sneaker sleuths predicted a surprise release of the shoes. This time they were right: the shoes dropped in limited quantities on the Cactus Jack online store.
April 30th, 2019
After months of teasers, surprises, and anticipation, Nike announced an official release date for the Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 High “Cactus Jack”: May 11th.
May 1st, 2019
While his birthday was a day prior, photos of a massive sneaker-shaped cake made for Travis by his beau Kylie Jenner emerged on Instagram.