Travis Kelce‘s affinity for custom and player-exclusive Air Jordan 11 cleats continued Sunday with a pair themed for his alma matter.
Kelce wore the cleats featuring red and black stripes inspired by the Cincinnati Bearcats for his return to the city for the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition to playing for the University of Cincinnati and receiving his diploma earlier this year, Kelce grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland.
Although Kelce often wears Air Jordan cleats made by customizers, this pair was provided directly by Jordan Brand. In addition to the stripes on the Air Jordan 11’s mudguard, the quote “Feed the fire” from his college coach appears on one of the mismatched orange and red insoles. Kelce’s no. 87 appears on the mustache where Jordan’s no. 23 is typically applied, and a custom “Killa Trav” tag with the Jumpman appears on the tongue as a nod to his social media handles.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Kelce arrived wearing the Air Jordan 15 “Columbia,” a sneaker that debuted in 2000 and has never been rereleased.
Kelce has worn numerous Air Jordan 11 cleats this season, including a custom pair made by Mache recently for his charity 87 Running as part of the NFL’s My Cause My Cleat initiative. For the season opener, he chose the cleated version of the iconic Air Jordan 11 “Concord.”
In the Chiefs’ 21-7 win over the Browns, Kelce was limited to just 4 receptions for 27 yards.
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
