Andrew Rizzo Over a decade removed from its last retro, Gary Payton’s Nike Air Zoom Flight ’98 aka “The Glove” returns to shelves in its original black and white colorway on July 31st. Men’s sizes will be available for $170 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers. See our Where to Buy section for purchase links and keep scrolling for the full lore breakdown.
WHERE TO BUY
Mens Nike Air Zoom Flight '98
US 07/31/2026 Friday
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| Retailer | Release type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Foot Locker | Standard | Check Site |
| Sneaker Politics | Sold Out | Sold Out |
| SNIPES US | Sold Out | Sold Out |
| Nike SNKRS | Sold Out | Sold Out |
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Gary Payton’s sneaker legacy is one of the most intriguing in all of Nike Basketball history, a product of the Hall of Famer playing through the entire ’90s and peaking during what most consider the hoops shoe category’s golden era. Payton entered the league wearing a number of early ’90s gems, on hand for the aesthetic transition from traditional-leaning models like the Air Flight through to the more era-defining Maestro and Uptempo lines. The end of his Seattle SuperSonics tenure coincided with the end of his official signature line, which delivered a total of four models, while the twilight of his career saw him sign with Jordan Brand and rock a number of dope PEs (ironic, huh?).
Sandwiched between chapters one and two of Payton’s sneaker journey was something of a quasi-signature line, headlined by the cult classic that is the Nike Air Zoom Flight ’98 aka “The Glove.” Created by legendary sneaker architect Eric Avar, the shoe suited Payton’s tenacious defensive intensity with a shrouded design made to look and feel like a literal glove. While not an Alpha Project shoe, it’s not hard to trace the breadcrumbs given the aesthetic and lead designer involved.
Thirteen years removed from its last retro run, the Nike Air Zoom Flight ’98 is back in focus in its most well-known original colorway. The bulk of the sneaker comes in black, contrasted by white Swooshes, red TPU accents, and a white midsole. Scroll back up to our Where to Buy section to secure yours on launch day.
