Kicks

First Look: Travis Kelce's Air Jordan 11 Cleats for Super Bowl LIX

Jordan Brand designed player-exclusive Air Jordan cleats for Travis Kelce.

Pat Benson

A detailed look at the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's Air Jordan cleats.
A detailed look at the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's Air Jordan cleats. / NFL
In this story:

No NFL player has been more closely followed over the past two years than Travis Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has become an international celebrity thanks to his highly publicized relationship with Taylor Swift.

However, Kelce had earned the reputation of the league's biggest sneakerhead long before his relationship with Swift. His pregame sneakers and on-field cleats regularly grab headlines.

That is why all eyes are on the feet of Kelce for Super Bowl LIX. Kelce has worn Air Jordan 11 cleats in player-exclusive and custom colorways all season. Thanks to the NFL's official social media account, we know today's big game will be no different.

The NFL posted on X (formerly Twitter), a detailed picture of two cleats to be worn by Kelce. The post was captioned, "Travvy's game day cleats (fire emoji)." It looks like Kelce will wear the Air Jordan 11 in one (or two) player-exclusive colorways that he has already played in this season.

The picture shows a red colorway with a white midsole, Metallic Gold detailing on the Jumpman logo, and 87 embroidery on the heel. Kelce debuted the red colorway in December against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Meanwhile, the gold colorway sports a mustard gold upper contrasted by red detailing throughout the silhouette with a white midsole. Kelce debuted the gold colorway in November against the Buffalo Bills.

However, that still does not rule out the possibility of Kelce pulling out a surprise pair of cleats at the last minute. Plus, the Chiefs shared a picture on X that showed two more cleats in Kelce's rotation.

One was a duplicate pair of the red Air Jordan 11s, while the other was the player-exclusive Cincinnati Bearcats colorway that Kelce debuted in December against the Cleveland Browns.

Kelce could still have the best cleats on the field if he plays it safe with a familiar colorway. Or, he could be bold in the Chiefs' quest for a three-peat and rock never-before-seen cleats in the Big Game.

Throughout the entire season, Kelce has stopped wearing Nike in favor of retro Air Jordans. As the season progressed, Kelce wore retro Air Jordan sneakers in almost chronological order to correlate with the regular season schedule.

There is reporting that Kelce is in the final year of his contract with Nike, which leads many to speculate that this year was a big build-up to a future sneaker deal between Kelce and Jordan Brand.

Given Kelce's rising mainstream popularity—thanks to his on-field performance and his high-profile relationship with Swift—a partnership with Jordan Brand could be a strategic move for both parties.
Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NFL and beyond.

More NFL Sneakers News

Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Home/News