Throwback Thursday - Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89Recently we have given alot of coverage to the upcoming Nike Air Flight Lites, but I thought it would be a perfect time to see the original shoe of the Nike Air Flight line.Many took notice for the 25th Anniversary of the Nike Air Force 1, but a line that is as equally as significant to Nike will celebrate its 20th Anniversary next year. Nike Flight was launched in 1989 to support the quick cutting, high flying athletes on Nike’s roster.

This shoe, the Nike Air Flight High is better known today as the “Air Flight ‘89″, but the high top has not been seen since its original release almost 20 years ago. Ironically, at the time of the models release Nike heavily campaigned the high top version rather than the low.

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High

Nike Air Flight High 89
Nike Air Flight High Advertising Material

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
54
  1. Stevie

    These were by far my best pair of Basketball boots but they were stolen at college, any chance they are retroing these bad boys?

  2. GCKS

    NWA made these a classic. I hope they bring them back. They are hot kicks!

  3. beet feet

    i got a pair of og’s in a 8.5

  4. RICK

    YO!! I HAD A PAIR OF THESE IN THE 90′S I EVEN BUGHT THEM IN RED AND PEOPLE USE TO STOP ME IN THE STREETS AND THEY WOULD TELL ME THESE WERE THE HOTTEST SNEAKERS THEY EVER SEEN. THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE TESE ANYMORE I WANT THEM TO COME OUT AGAIN!!

  5. rob

    is there anywhere i can buy these shoes? and what are they called?

  6. doingitjust4kicks

    these are straight CRACK!! I love them! I hear they are retroing this year due to the 10th anniversary of flight… I hope so!

  7. Hgeths

    MY VERY 1ST KICKS(ONCOURT)!!!!9 YO…CHOSE THEM OVER A PAIR OF B QUALITY JORDAN III’S… THE BLACK/GREY/WHT COLORWAY…AFTER 6 MONTHS I SPRAYED THEM ALL BLACK (KEPT THE SWOOSH GRAY) AND THEY WERE NECKBRAKERS FOR ANOTHER 3 MONTHS:)))))))))))))))))

    EXCEPT THE SWOOSH POSITIONING THIS IS AN OTHERWISE AHEAD OF ITS TIME KICK (TRY TO THINK THAT MANY OF U WEREN’T EVEN BORN)

    I WISH THEY MAKE A BLACK NUBUCK COLRWAY ASWELL

  8. GEB2008

    YO!! THESE ARE FLATOUT, BY FAR THE BEST BASKETBALL SHOE NIKE HAS EVER MADE! (INCLUDING THE JORDANS) I WANT THESE WHEN THEY COME OUT!!!

  9. jon

    when these come out? i gotta get em

  10. 313NikeHead

    I wanted these so bad back in 1989. They cost just as much as the Air Jordan IV. For those that don’t know back in 89 these shoes were equal to Jordans.

  11. Terrell

    Matt,
    Thanks for making my Thursdays, Every Thursday. (Except that time there was no throwback thursday, so you gave us two in one the next week.) yous a beast kid :D

  12. Trinidadiandeep

    Yo does anyone rember that commercial with Gerald Wilkins seen in that pic on t.v BACK IN THE DAY……? LOL
    Ah when kicks was kicks……….

  13. Cedric

    These are so sick iam speechless will get these in a hart beat if brought out

  14. Lex G THA CHAMP OF CHAMPS

    I need em!!!!! PLEASE do all sneakerheads a favor and release these!!!

  15. Jon Blaze

    ooo the true high top, goes to your knee caps

  16. shoehead

    maaaaaan i hope they re-release this color way it will instantly be copped with no problems nor effort in other words imma own these shoes like a pimp with a 2 dolla … you kno what i mean

  17. fliprg91

    answer me something niceckicks.
    how do you keep finding all these vintage OG nikes in such perfect conditions?
    i always enjoy ThrowBack Thursday, you always keep it clean with the originals, always keep your doing your thing.

  18. YouKnow

    i like the lows better.

  19. BKost

    Highs kill the lows, too bad its not these being retroed instead of the lows.

  20. cool419

    woooooooooooooooooooooooo. I LOVE THESE SHOES TOO, I HAD THE WHITE AND RED AND THE WHITE AND BLACK ONES…IF THEY EVER COME OUT, I HAVE TO COP 2 PAIR…

  21. greenmaker24

    real dope

  22. aj_21095

    air flight 89s are one of my favorite shoes period. i’m 25 so i rocked the retro’s hard in high school haha thanks for another dope post.

  23. yung albino

    being younger than these sneakers i think id have a hard time wearing them but they look so fresh always wondered why they dont make shoes that high anymore but guess its less material so less money to make’m or somthing

  24. D B

    Totally dope. They should really retro these. This is another shoe that’s in my pop’s collection. I bought my mom the white/white lows for last Mother’s day.

  25. JC

    these kicks are pretty tight.

  26. sneakerhead3

    they look too high for me on snapshots but in the pic of the dude wearing em they look sick. i want these, just in another color.

  27. Pastor Troy

    Classics. Thanks Matt for taking us back almost 19 years (wow). For all of you sneaker heads did you all peep how the 89 flights have the same sole and bottom as the Jordan 4’s. Check out the Jordan 4’s and compare them to the flight 89’s

  28. damnneardeadstock

    these are one of the most beautiful pairs of sneakers i’ve ever seen. that military-esque colorway is amazing. i have a thing for early 90s/late 80s high cut basketball sneakers.

    i really really wish nike would start retroing more stuff like this.

  29. Terrell

    if nike paid attention to the customer, they’d know that the high top silhouettes are making a huge comeback. The higher the better; aka release the REAL MCFLYS!

  30. abelino

    I used to rock these back in the day’s they fell very good on your feet makes you want to dunk a ball…

  31. big nate

    personally, i love the really love the old school high tops and sky tops, but these flights never really appealed to me, lows or highs. I know the old school cats love them but they look too front heavy and unbalanced to me. I think that the air bounds are much nicer looking, but of course that’s just my opinion.

  32. Sneaker King

    dose r sick definitely have to cop

  33. Oldskoolkicksboi

    Nice post, brings back memories when I was in junior high. I wanted a pair of these bad and the air solo flights too. Hope Nike decides to release these. Hey Matt i love that you guys are posting a lot of the hot kicks from the late 80s and 90s. Any chance you will post the 89 air solo flights?

  34. TOAST JORDAN

    HAD THESE IN HIGH SCHOOL GETTING THOSE WHEN THEY COME OUT

  35. TOAST JORDAN

    HAD THESE IN HIGH SCHOOL GETTING THOSE WHEN THEY COMEOUT

  36. Biggins

    I frickin’ love these Flights. So clean, so perfect. I mean, just look at the quality of these shoes.

  37. 716'sfinest

    nice, looks a lot like the military fours from the bottom.

  38. dopasaurus

    beautiful. i’d kind of like to see the comparison to the solo flights. we all wanted sky-hightops in the back then…

  39. rsan

    man i wish i could go back to the 80s & 90s those are nice i remember those i would copp.

  40. jon

    I had a pair of kicks very similar to those a couple years ago, they were air force 3’s, my stupid feet grew though

  41. Dan Love

    Love ‘em, but again, would I necessarily wear these now? I’m not sure. The height scares me a little…

    Still a very dope sneaker and this colourway is beautiful.

  42. Coach K

    I had these in 8th grade! If they bring these back out, I might buy every color way

  43. mike

    these are dope… true high tops… love em’….

  44. kidrew

    These are way better than the lows, if they came back in a cool bright color would defintly cop

  45. Dani@23

    AWW men the midsole is cracking!!!!

  46. Flatsole

    I was wondering when you were going to let these out of the bag!

  47. richay14

    i love that material they use under the middle lace holes. like it makes the shoe look nuts to me. idk y

  48. Dixon Syder

    MMMM…even though I’m not a big man I miss & love these! The Jordan IV sole, J III heel tabs, premium leather when it was just regular…they just dont make em like they used to! Thanks Nicekicks!

    Big Dix

  49. J.King

    It was going to be a surprise, but I’m so hype about this post, I’ll let the cat out of the bag. Matt, I’ve given you a shout out in my new book “Sole Food” scheduled for publication in October.

  50. J.King

    Eventually, they (shoe corps.) have to hit us all with more (true) High top retros.

  51. solesaved

    I wonder how anyone could turn a ankle in the highs they were making back then. Still seeing a lot of the retro lows these are another classic that take me back down memory lane i had a pair of these and the Air Solo Flights.

  52. PhilWil

    Wow, these remind me of high school… even though I don’t remember seeing them lol

    Why didn’t they let me on their basketball team!!!

  53. Dynamic

    Yo these R sick! I copped 2 pairs of da low top Air Flight 89’s last year. (Grey/blk & da wht/red)
    I’m lookin foward for these…
    watz da price?


Leave a Comment

Comments RSS

COMPLEXMediaNetwork 12ozProphet | Complex | ComplexVideo | DailyDrop | DasGamer | FreshnessMag | HighSnobiety | JapaneseSportCars | Juxtapoz | KicksFinder | KicksOnFire | Loud | MoeJackson | NahRight | NiceKicks | OliviaMunn | OnSMASH | Pastapadre | PlanetXbox360 | Sarcasticgamer | SlamxHype | SneakerNews | Streetball | VladTV

Copyright © 2009 Nice Kicks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.