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It is safe to say Nike Basketball is, and will continue to, steadily push the envelope when it comes technology-driven, lightweight basketball shoes. The recently-released Nike Zoom Kobe VI is great example of this, as it is the lightest basketball shoe ever created by the storied brand. Yet, it seems as if Nike Basketball reinvents themselves every few years.
To coincide with the recent release of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, our Nice Kicks staff compiled a list of the best lightweight, performance-ready Nike Basketball designs ever created. In this 10-sneaker list, you will see everything from the age-old Nike Air Flight Lite Hi to the Nike Hyperflight to Nike’s recent performance monster, the Nike Zoom Kobe VI. Take a look at our 11 Defining Moments in Nike’s Lightweight Basketball Shoes.
**Note** Let us know your favorite Nike lightweight basketball shoe in the voting poll on the last page.
Nike Air Flight Lite High
Released: 1991
Weight: 15.0 oz
In regards to Nike priding itself on creating revolutionary, lightweight performance basketball shoes, the Nike Air Flight Lite Hi was the first shoe to gain an abundance of attention in this arena. Despite its ounce-heavy high cut and inside boot structure, this shoe stood alone as one of the lightest basketball sneakers during the early 90s. In addition to its featherweight build, the Nike Air Flight Lite is also one of the more durable sneakers ever created thanks to the Phylon midsole foam. You may recall Scottie Pippen sporting this shoe on the regular; yet, it gained a great mass appeal when Sidney Deane Wesley Snipes rocked this sneaker in White Men Can’t Jump. Also, New York Knicks guard/forward Gerald Wilkins was a big endorser of the Nike Air Flight Lite.
