- May 13, 2001
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89's are soooo good! Wish they'd do TB colorways again, I'd be all over a white/orange!
Nike Air Flight 89: now on NIKEiD
- Thread in 'Nike Retro' Thread starter Started by panaricanretro,
- Start date
- Feb 16, 2011
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U can see the 89 has AJIII design elements incorporated in it
as to where the AJIV removed the AJIII elements, which leads me to believe the 89 was released first.
Still need confirmation though
as to where the AJIV removed the AJIII elements, which leads me to believe the 89 was released first.
Still need confirmation though
Last edited:
- Jul 19, 2013
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its a known fact flight 89 came before aj4U can see the 89 has AJIII design elements incorporated in it
as to where the AJIV removed the AJIII elements, which leads me to believe the 89 was released first.
Still need confirmation though
- Mar 27, 2007
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They're both in catalogs together at the same time and we know the AJ 4 released mid-February 1989. So how much earlier could the Flights have debuted? In January? So it's only a month?
I don't know when the Flights released, just adding to the convo.
I don't know when the Flights released, just adding to the convo.
- Dec 29, 2003
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You got receipts?
I agree but for the sake of everyone wondering, help us out.
As said above they probably released in January.
- Jan 2, 2014
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rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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What does knowing which shoe hit stores first prove? The question seems to be which shoe was designed first? Release dates aren’t relevant to that.
- Mar 27, 2007
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I agree with you I'm just going with the convo that was started here. I didn't originally ask the question.
My guess is that the Jordan is always designed first because it has precedent over the takedowns. After the Jordan is designed they make takedowns off of it.
rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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No idea. We’re talking more than 35 years ago. Could be they designed the whole year’s Flight line (including the IVs) concurrently.
In my area back then, I don’t remember anyone really looking at the Flight 89 as what we’d consider takedowns. It was just another option. Solo Flights without the vis air window were seen for that reason as a bit of a takedown model.
- Feb 16, 2011
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I mean we been asking in this thread almost 10 years now
I don't disbelieve you but we need to verify.
how do you know for certain?
I originally asked years ago to see which came first...the chicken or the egg
I think for lovers of this shoe it adds closure that this was the ORIGINAL INSPIRATION for the AJIV, which amongst many is considered one of the best of the AJ line.
Real Nike heads know the 89 was never a takedown.
Takedowns usually were stripped down models of a MORE EXPENSIVE shoe
the 89 and AJIV always had the same price point.
So as mentioned before, they were an ALTENATIVE not a TAKEDOWN.
It adds to the lore of the AJIV/89/Tinker story
rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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But again, at best all you’re ever going to possibly know are release dates, which mean zero in terms of the various design timelines. This whole question is a red herring. Unless Tinker explains it at some point, we’ll never know.
- Mar 27, 2007
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You're right, I shouldn't have said takedown because it was the top-tier lightweight Nike
Basketball shoe.
shoe
- Feb 16, 2011
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The fact that the 89 has AJIII elements in it strongly suggest it was designed BEFORE the AJIV which has 0 AJIII inspiration.
I mean its possible the AJIV was designed first and then they went back and added AJIII elements to the 89 but that doesn't seem like a vertical move
especially if the 89 was released first.
rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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That’s entirely different reasoning than release dates proving something. They both certainly came out close enough to each other as to be meaningless when trying to figure out design timelines.
- Feb 16, 2011
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no but they correlate and since we cant confirm we are looking for correlations here sir.
Its a big deal TO ME that one of the hyped shoes of all time gets all the flowers while the original inspiration for that shoe gets no love.
I mean, its essentially the same relationship with the dunk and AJ1
everyone LOVED the AJ1 and when casuals realized the AJ1 was just a reworked dunk, dunks experienced this renaissance amongst the new generation of sneakerheads.
just tryna piece the puzzle together for my personal edification
Real sneaker head/nike head ****.
rainking
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- Aug 12, 2016
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Dude, all I’m pointing out to you is that even if someone can prove the 89 released first, it proves nothing about the bigger answer you’re looking for. It’s 100 percent irrelevant even if you wish it meant something. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a logical fact. Release dates are influenced by marketing plans and things like that. But if you want to believe it proves something, that’s cool. I’m not looking to argue with you, just trying to paint an honest and logical picture.
- Mar 27, 2007
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I thought the AJ 1 was designed before the dunk.
- Feb 12, 2014
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For all intents and purposes, they were in prod'n at the same time even if they launched a month or two apart. I'm betting the '89 was designed first then the IV, or they were designed in concert. I know for certain they were not seen as a takedown model; they were diff shoes; one was Nike and one was Jordan. Only the sneaker nerds (like myself) even noticed the midsole and outsole were the same. The Jordan was considered "cooler" but the '89 was definitely not a poor man's IV. It was mostly "the IV was sold out so I got these b/c they look similar"...and black shoes at that time were super cool b/c they were original compared to what was the norm back then.
- Dec 29, 2003
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rainking
coming in here being Debbie Downer and ish. 
Chill man, some of are just genuinely curious about which pair released first AS WELL as which were designed first. As
SORIANOTRON
said above, we just nerding out.
- Mar 27, 2007
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I actually got a question answered on a Reddit AMA by Tinker Hatfield and I asked him a dumbass question. "Where the grape 5s inspired by the Charlotte Hornets colors?"
This 89 Flight question would have been way better.
This 89 Flight question would have been way better.
- Dec 29, 2003
- 9,915
- 34,522
I actually got a question answered on a Reddit AMA by Tinker Hatfield and I asked him a dumbass question. "Where the grape 5s inspired by the Charlotte Hornets colors?"
This 89 Flight question would have been way better.
That's pretty cool. I assume his answer was no?
- Mar 27, 2007
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I'll try to find it, but nah it was more like he doesn't know for sure and that he didn't really pick that colorway and that it may have been someone else's decision.
I assume his answer was no?
- Feb 16, 2011
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I just pray Nike doesn’t let any rappers/entertainers ruin this silhouette.
I always loved that this model is so slept on
The best kept secret in this hype era we are currently in
I always loved that this model is so slept on
The best kept secret in this hype era we are currently in
rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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It’s already been ruined by Nike. Needs fixing big time, and soon.
rainking
Supporter
- Aug 12, 2016
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If you just want to know the release order because you want to know, I get it from a nerd standpoint. I was merely saying that learning that info doesn’t solve anything about the design timeline mystery lol
