After first surfacing on rumor-wire late last year, the Nike Air Zoom Flight ’98 The Glove is finally beginning to emerge ahead of its Fall 2026 return.
Reports of the model’s return initially surfaced in November 2025, signaling Nike’s intent to revisit the significant era of basketball footwear from the late-1990s to the early-2000s. Now, the first images of the upcoming retro have appeared, offering a detailed look at what fans can expect when the silhouette returns this Fall 2026 season.
The iconic white-and-black colorway remains intact, preserving the design that helped make the Air Zoom Flight ’98 “The Glove” a standout during Nike’s golden era of bold footwear experimentation. The signature neoprene shroud returns as expected, concealing the “Monkey Paw” lockdown system beneath its zippered exterior. The signatujre outsole design also remains faithful to the OG.
The Air Zoom Flight ’98 originally debuted in 1998 as the signature model of Hall of Famer Gary Payton aka “The Glove”, whose aggressive defense and larger-than-life personality made him one of Nike Basketball’s premier athletes during the era. While Payton’s signature line often lived in the shadow of some of Nike’s bigger basketball franchises, the Flight ’98 has developed a loyal following thanks to its futuristic design and unmistakable on-court presence.
At this stage, Nike has yet to announce official release dates, but a Fall 2026 release for $170 is confirmed. In other hoops news, peep the first look at the Air Flightposite III.
