Travis Scott's "Dark Mocha" Collab Might've Inspired this Air Jordan 1 Mid

Throughout its history, Nike, Inc. has been self-referential. Pairs from Michael Jordan's signature line, for example, have taken on iconic color schemes from the revolutionary Air Max franchise. Along the way, the Oregon-based company has also received some backlash over its use of collaborators' tones or design elements in its mainline offerings, as doing so has been perceived as "lazy" and detrimental to oftentimes-limited edition products. The latest Air Jordan 1 Mid to surface seemingly draws inspiration from Travis Scott's industry-shifting "Dark Mocha" High from 2019.

Far from any click-bait title, the comparison is based on more than just a coincidence. A quick glance at the impending Air Jordan retro confirms the sneaker's upper primarily takes on a brown, white, and black color scheme similar to Scott's collaboration from six years ago. The color-blocking helps reinforce the theory, although the midsole on the inline style opts for a faux-aged finish not found on the special link-up. The faint pink that animates the inner lining might seem random, but it adds credibility to the idea that Jordan Brand's design team referenced a popular color scheme—perhaps as an attempt to energize a silhouette that's currently in a lull.

La Flame included five sets of laces, allowing wearers to personalize their pairs. Most folks took to Instagram to showcase their Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Dark Mocha" (available via StockX) with black, cream, or pink laces. It's the third option that became particularly popular, coupling two disparate hues together in a way that surprisingly worked.

The Houston-born artist didn't invent the pairing of brown and pink (let's not forget Stüssy's Nike SB Dunk Low from 2005), but he introduced and popularized it for an unprecedented market of consumers. Therefore, it's sensical to believe a similar update to a similar model by Team Jumpman looked to Scott's work for reference.

Enjoy official photos of the brown-covered Jordan 1 Mid retro below. Pairs are expected to launch via Nike.com throughout fall.

For similarly-colored footwear from the Swoosh empire, check out the Tom Sachs Mars Yard 3.0, the controversial artist's first collaboration with Nike in two years.