A ‘90s Classic Is Back! The Return of the Air Flight Huarache Has Me Very Excited. In Depth Review!
The Nike Air Flight Huarache originally released in 1992 and was initially met with mixed reception. However, when the Michigan Fab Five adopted the shoe as their de-facto team shoe, the popularity surged and it became a ‘90s classic. As someone who grew up in the '90s I could not be more excited that the Air Flight Huarache is back in it's OG colorway, Varsity Purple and Royal Blue. This shoe officially releases in the United States on June 7 for $125.
Colorway (5/5):
The OG Varsity Purple and Royal Blue colorway is hard to beat. In a world where colorways like ‘white cement’ and' ‘infrared’ and ‘bred’ are all the hype, this colorway isn’t talked about enough in my opinion. As a predominantly white sneaker, these three colors go together so well. However, my favorite part about this shoe actually exists on the outsole. The light green ‘NIKE’ on the midfoot on the outsole gives me such ‘90s vibes I love it.
Materials (4/5):
This shoe comes with a white base leather layer and the leather is good. It does seem to come with a polyurethane coating over it which I don’t love but it’s not so blatant that it feels plastic. The most distinct material however is the neoprene. Legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, who co-designed this shoe with Eric Avar, was inspired by a water skiing trip as he was impressed with the fit on his water skiing boots made of neoprene. I have to say, Tinker Hatfield was spot on with this one. Even as a wide footer this shoe fits like a glove (see below).
The unique heel counter comes in a solid TPU material while the caging around the ankle collar is synthetic nubuck (what Nike calls durabuck). I would’ve preferred genuine nubuck but for $125 it’s not too surprising.
This shoe has a phylon midsole so expect weight savings there and a more well-cushioned shoe than a shoe with rubber midsoles. Nike.com’s description of the shoe also mentions this 2023 retro has updated the shoe to have a Nike Air Unit on the heel and forefoot. I was barely born when this shoe first originally released so I’m assuming the OG version only had one Nike Air Unit? Seems like that’d be the only reason Nike went out their way to mention this. There’s also a hidden ‘F’ on the midsole which stands for ‘Flight’, one of the coolest hidden details ever.
Size and Comfort (4/5):
I’m a size 9.5 true to size, and despite my wide feet I stayed true to size with this one. This shoe fits very snug due to the neoprene material in the shoe, however, it doesn’t feel too tight nor uncomfortable in any area. It literally wraps around my feet.
The Air Flight Huarache also features an extra row of eyelets so if you prefer a looser fit you have some flexibility there. The only minor complaint regarding the comfort is I feel like the neoprene makes my feet sweat more (maybe that’s a me problem!). The cushioning is decent and as someone who doesn’t love the modern day foam shoes, there’s nothing I would change about the cushioning.
Versatility (4/5):
As distinct and different and ‘90s as this shoe is, I really think the Air Flight Huarache is a very versatile shoe. I remember seeing a friend of my wear these shoes all the time casually and the jealousy inside me never left, they're just so nice especially during summer with shorts. The colorway is also easy to match with outfits. Being a predominantly white sneaker with relatively tame colors, it’s hard to feel out of place.
Storytelling (1/5):
Despite the history of the Fab Five popularizing this shoe, there’s not a story to really tell on this shoe. It’s a general release with no real references or inspiration to any particular story.
Laces and Box:
This shoe doesn’t come with any extra laces, but I love the box the shoe comes with. It’s an all black Nike Air Huarache box with the super sick Huarache logo embossed in the center of the box. From a distance it might look like a sticker but it isn’t. You can’t peel it off, it can’t be removed, it won’t leave a mark, it’s there for good. Love it.