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.<\/p>\n
To coincide with the recent release of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, our Snkrs Day 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.<\/p>\n
**Note**<\/strong> Let us know your favorite Nike lightweight basketball shoe in the voting poll on the last page.<\/p>\n \n \n Released:<\/strong> 1991 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<\/span> rocked this sneaker in White Men Can’t Jump<\/em>. Also, New York Knicks guard\/forward Gerald Wilkins was a big endorser of the Nike Air Flight Lite.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n Released:<\/strong> 1992 Following the release of the aforementioned, highly-successful Nike Air Flight Lite Hi, Nike returned the next year with the improved Nike Air Flight Lite Hi II. This shoe kept the extremely lightweight, high-top construction (1.5 ounces lighter) and unmatched cushioning aspects; however, Nike improved on the fit by incorporating a stripped down and better fitting Huarache style inner sock. Players such as A.C. Green wore this shoe during the 1991-92 NBA season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Released:<\/strong> 1992 The Nike Huarache has had a series of great shoes in running and training, but this Nike Air Flight Huarache changed the game of basketball forever. The Nike Air Flight Huarache, designed by Tinker Hatfield, is inspired by a Mayan sandal and is considered an ultra-comfortable shoe thanks to its extreme cushioning. At first impression, the Air Flight Huarache did not catch on with consumers; it wasn’t until Chris Webber and the rest of Michigan’s Fab Five laced this shoe up in the glory days of college basketball.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n Released:<\/strong> 1994 The recently released Nike Air Go LWP (Lightweight Peformance) was also one of Nike’s early lightweight performance basketball shoes in the 90s. Although the Nike Air Go LWP was not apart of Penny Hardaway’s successful sneaker line, many associate this sneaker with him seeing that he wore this shoe consistently in his early NBA years. This shoe was also worn by players such as Tim Hardaway, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo courtesy of kicksology on flickr<\/em><\/p>\n Released:<\/strong> 2001 Your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, Nike also dubbed this model the Air Flight II. While most of Nike Basketball’s creations feature polyurethane (PU) and\/or Phylon in the midsole, Nike first introduced the lightweight Phylite material on this Nike Air Flight Lite II. Phylite is lighter than the aforementioned technologies, but is not as durable and dense. The Nike Air Flight Lite II was also one of the first technology-driven Nike Basketball shoes to intrigue enthusiast off of its unique, outer design cues alone.? Its predominately mesh-constructed base is also credited for its lightweight build, along with its TPU-based anti-inversion device on the lateral and medial sides. The Nike Air Flight Lite II was released as part of the Nike’s Alpha Project Series and players such as Dennis Rodman laced this shoe up during the 2001-2002 NBA season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n Released:<\/strong> 2001 The Nike Hyperflight, designed by Eric Avar, was a revolutionary sneaker in terms of lightweight capacity and design; however, this shoe was a great example of being beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside. The Nike Hyperflight was often criticized in areas of fit, cushioning and stability. Its well-received, shiny, synthetic upper was an element considered ‘before its time’; yet, many performance characteristics were stripped away for this design cue. Nonetheless, it is one of the most recognizable shoes ever created by Nike. Players such as Jason Williams and Damon Stoudamire laced this shoe up in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Released:<\/strong> 2004 The Nike Zoom Huarache 2K4, also created by Eric Avar, was a performance-based sneaker that was supposed to be the first in Kobe Bryant’s Nike Basketball signature line. Yet, due to a few off-court issues, Nike released this performance monster with no name attached. Do not think for a second that this sneaker suffered from the aforementioned explanation though. The Nike Zoom Huarache 2K4 is still one of the lightest, quality-rich sneakers ever created by Nike. During the 2004-05 NBA season, a plethora of players, both professional and collegiate, wore this sneaker worldwide. Its construction drew inspiration from the original Nike Air Flight Huarache and the Nike Air Dynamic Flight. Notable characteristics include a velcro strap, a lightweight leather\/suede upper,? Zoom Air units and a responsive, lightweight Phylon midsole.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n Released:<\/strong> 2008 The Nike Hyperdunk is easily one of, if not the best lightweight, performance based basketball sneaker of the decade (let alone ever). Endorsed by Kobe Bryant and created by Leo Chang, this shoe released just in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics; therefore, players representing over a 100 countries wore this shoe during that summer. The Nike Hyperdunk combined and debuted two new high-quality technologies: Flywire technology and Lunarlite foam. The former element is one of the biggest reasons for Nike’s re-commitment to the lightweight sneakers, as it is now seen on all of their signature sneaker creations (Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Nike Zoom KD III, Nike LeBron 8).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Released:<\/strong> 2008-2010 The Nike Zoom Kobe IV quickly topped the previously-mentioned Nike Hyperdunk in regards to lightweight capacity. At 11.6 ounces, this shoe became a favorite amongst athletes and is responsible for the lightweight, low-profile sneakers we seen in the market today. It incorporates Flywire and Lunarlite Foam in its construction much like the aforementioned Hyperdunk. Additionally, it contains Zoom Air in the heel and a full-length Phylon midsole.<\/p>\n A year later, Nike improved on the ever-evolving Flywire technology and produced an even lighter, sleeker basketball sneaker in the form of the Nike Zoom Kobe V. The updated Flywire technology acts as synthetic tendons that grip the foot like a second layer. Its lighter build can be credited by the shoe?s overlays which are bonded with heat welding.<\/p>\n The Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Bryant’s latest signature model, maintains the 10.6 ounce weight statistic of the previously mentioned Nike Zoom Kobe V. While most may think the VI’s upgrades are wholly design related (thanks to the snakeskin, venomenon upper), Nike again improved on the technical aspects too. The Kobe VI features reduced midsole thickness to keep the foot closer to the ground for improved stability and better court feel. As for the ever-improving Flywire technology, this shoe owns a new, three-layer construction of the innovative, performance-based technology. The inside of the shoe contains a layer of mesh, followed by a layer of Flywire and topped off by another layer of breathable mesh with polyurethane islands for abrasion resistance. All three low-profile designs were created by none other than Eric Avar.<\/p>\n Now that you have seen the 11 Defining Moments in Nike’s Lightweight Basketball Shoes, which shoe is interests you the most? Let us know in our voting poll below.<\/p>\nNike Air Flight Lite High<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 15.0 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Air Flight Lite Hi II<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 13.5 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Air Flight Huarache<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 14.3 oz<\/p>\nNike Air Go LWP<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 12.9 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Air Flight Lite II<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 13.5 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Hyperflight<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 13.7 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Zoom Huarache 2K4<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 15.2 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Hyperdunk<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> 13 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nNike Zoom Kobe Series (IV-VI)<\/h3>\n
\nWeight:<\/strong> Nike Zoom Kobe IV: 11.6 oz, Nike Zoom Kobe V: 10.6 oz, Nike Zoom Kobe VI: 10.6 oz
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n