Travis Scott and Nike reportedly have three GTA 6 Air Force 1s ready for launch day

Travis Scott, Nike and Rockstar are preparing three GTA 6 Nike Air Force 1 Low sneakers, priced at $130 a pair and releasing on 19 November, the same day as the game, according to several sources in the sneaker world. None of the three has confirmed it and there isn't a single photo of the shoes yet, but the colorways are already out there. Here's what we know, where it comes from and why Travis Scott isn't here by chance.

What GTA 6 sneakers are Nike and Travis Scott releasing?

Three takes on the Air Force 1 Low '07, Nike's best-selling sneaker, signed three ways: Cactus Jack (Travis Scott's label), Nike and Rockstar Games. According to Sneaker News, which cites internal Nike data and partner retailer listings, these are the colorways:

• White/White/Fire Pink: white with pink accents.
• Black/Black/Fire Pink: black with the same pink.
• Multicolor/Pale Ivory/Black/Bold Berry/Fire Pink: the wildest of the three, mixing ivory, black, berry and pink.

Pink on white and black, berry, ivory… In other words, the Vice City sunsets from the trailers are about to end up on your feet. The design is another story: nobody has seen it. The images running on the outlets covering the story are logo mock-ups or a plain white Air Force 1, not the GTA 6 pairs. Complex says it straight up: its image is just a placeholder.

When do they release and how much do they cost?

On 19 November, the same day as GTA 6, at $130 a pair. That's what Complex, Dexerto and Sneaker News all agree on. There's no UK or European pricing yet, and no word on whether they'll hit stores outside the US on day one: Nike hasn't said a thing.

Where to buy them isn't clear either. Sneaker News expects them at Nike partner retailers and points to Travis Scott's website and Nike's own channels, though it notes that some of his past drops skipped the SNKRS app. What it does warn about is that they'll be hard to get, with raffles almost a given. Any Travis Scott release sells out in minutes and ends up on resale sites at silly prices; add GTA 6 to the mix and you can picture the rest.

What does Travis Scott have to do with GTA 6?

A lot more than putting his name on a shoebox. Travis Scott is on Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the 34-track record of original songs that Rockstar and Atlantic Records are releasing on 19 November too. His track, "RHYNO", is produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, one half of Daft Punk, and it was one of the six songs that dropped with the album announcement, according to Complex.

And the connection goes way back. As Sneaker News points out, the Houston rapper was already celebrating on Instagram in 2013 that his song "Upper Echelon" was playing in GTA V. Thirteen years later, he's gone from the radio to the official album and, if the reports are right, to the shelves.

GTA 6's music has more big names: Justice composed the game's original score, and the duo has already dated its record. And the radio stations run from Bad Bunny to Lana Del Rey and Slayer.

Why would these sneakers be a big deal?

Two reasons. First: it would be Nike's first collaboration with Rockstar Games, according to Sneaker News, and it lands at the biggest moment in the studio's history. Second: Nike has got into the habit of bringing a third partner into Travis Scott drops to make them even louder. The latest example was the one with Fragment Design and tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, which included apparel and tennis shoes.

It also fits with everything Rockstar has been rolling out over the past few weeks, and that's a lot: official Vice City merch, Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell pop-ups in Miami, the game's beers in real cans and even a Miami Heat game turned into Vice City the night before launch.

If it's all confirmed, 19 November is going to be an expensive day: the game, the album and a pair of Air Force 1s. And all with your phone on fire trying to win the raffle.