Archival Nike silhouettes made a solid comeback in the last couple of years and continue to do so! However, part of the credit goes to the dope collaborations involved. And today’s collaboration is the best of both worlds! The Stussy Air Flight 89 is the perfect mix of modern streetwear names and classic silhouettes from the archive. So, let’s dive into the background of these babies, and why they should be on your list of holiday sneakers! But if you’re a sucker for the retros, then these holiday Jordans are what you need.
Air Flight 89 – The Scottie to Michael’s Jordan 4?
So, in 1989, the legacy of Air Jordan had already blown up, and Tinker Hatfield was at the design helm. The story has it that Hatfield designed the Air Flight 89 first, and after many tweaks and upgrades, we got the Jordan 4! But fortunately, Nike had the common sense to drop these under their brand. And you can see the similarities in the design! For example, both silhouettes share the same sole unit. However, the upper of the Air Flight looks like a rough draft of the 4s, but that’s by no means a bad thing.
Now, as far as hype goes, both kicks dropped in 1989 so they’re equally classic. But Jordan 4s being Js, they immediately sell out while the Nike Air Flight 89 sits on shelves. That’s why the silhouette developed the reputation of being a poor man’s Jordan 4! Or, the pair of basketball kicks that players aren’t worried about ruining. In addition to that, the reputation of the sneakers grew as the replacement with Scottie Pippen wearing them. So you can kinda see the analogy there.
Stussy Air Flight 89 – Adding the Hype Element to the Kicks?
Stussy has been one of the big players on the streetwear scene since 1984! That fact managed to give the brand an opportunity to partner up with sneaker brands, mainly Nike. We all remember the Cherry SB Dunks, don’t you? And now, Stussy and Nike are back with a pair from the archives and a twist. You see, the Stussy Air Flight 89 looks simple at first glance with its white leather upper and red details. However, the faux snakeskin on the side overlays certainly adds a dramatic flair to the kicks. And finally, the co-branding is obvious on the tongue, just in case you forgot.
Release Info
The Stussy Air Flight 89 will drop on December 8, 2023, and will retail for $160. Oh, and rumor has it that more colorways will soon follow! In the meantime, this colorway will drop on the Stussy webstore, Dover Street Market store, and Nike SNKRS. In other words, if you wanna catch the kicks on any (or all) of these sites, you’ll need an all-in-one bot! Because contrary to the average kicks, these babies are a pretty cool collab, and who doesn’t want to be cool?
And if you already figured that bit out, then you probably want the best sneaker bot for the job! Well, you don’t have to look anymore, because NSB is a click away, and it’s everything you need. From stellar performance on Shopify to Nike SNKRS cookouts, you’ll tip the odds in your favor on drop day. But make sure you know what you need to get the best performance out of your bot when the time comes. Godspeed!
