Performance Review: Nike Zoom Flight Club

In 1998, Nike released the Nike Zoom Flight 98 - the signature shoe of Gary Payton, a.k.a "The Glove". The shoe featured a glove-like shroud that covered the entire upper, secured by a zipper which spanned the length of the top of the foot. Eleven years later, the Zoom Flight Club is born with design influence on almost blanant-ripoff levels. However, while I never had the priviledge of balling in the Zoom Flight 98's, I can say that the Zoom Flight Clubs are terrific performing basketball shoes.



When I took the shoes out of the box, I couldn't help but notice the shroud's remarkable flexibility. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought the shroud might be a thick, unforgiving, rubber-like material that would require plenty of break-in, but it's actually incredibly thin and pliable.



My feet slipped into the Flight Clubs very easily, and the shoe's generous width and low arch were a treat to my semi-wide, flat feet. After tying the laces, it occurred to me that I really had no idea where they were supposed to sit. Outside the shroud? Nah... it has to be inside, but where? Wouldn't it press uncomfortably into my feet during play? I tucked half into the medial side and the other half into the lateral side and zipped up the shroud.



As I started warming up, I noticed how amazingly flexible the shoes were. The outsoles felt as if I had been playing in them for half a season (I actually took the shoes off again and tried bending them in half by hand, which was accomplished with very little effort - I encourage everyone to try this with the display model next time you see them in stores), and the shroud did absolutely nothing to hinder any of my movements. After a few minutes, I noticed some slight pressure on the tops of my feet, so I unzipped the shrouds, re-tucked all of the laces into the medial side, and re-zipped; that proved to be the best placement for the laces, as they no longer put pressure on any part of my feet.



The Flight Clubs were an absolute pleasure to play in. Of course, the Zoom Air in the heel provided top-notch cushioning, and though the forefoot does not contain an air unit of any kind, the midsole was foamy enough to allow a little bit of cushioning (a similar feel to Lunar Foam) along with a great low-profile feel for the court. The shroud combined with the velcro strap provided pretty good lockdown, but since this is a wider shoe, my feet moved around a tiny bit, but it was definitely an allowable amount to sacrifice for the great comfort. The shoes feel lighter on the feet than what the listed weight would suggest (15 oz), and they're very quick, nimble shoes with very sticky traction.



One problem that I encountered was that the zipper kept unzipping during play. I experimented with a few different ways of placing the zipper and found a method that held up for the rest of the night. When the zipper is pulled all the way up, it sits just above the velcro strap that goes across the top of the ankle. The trick is to pull the zipper up, secure the velcro strap, and then flip the tab of the zipper back over the velcro strap (see the first photo). What this does is essentially anchor the zipper so that it's less likely to slide back down under the strap.

After about 2.5 hours of play, I took off the shoes and noticed that my feet were quite drenched. I typically sweat very heavily, but I've rarely noticed this amount of moisture in my feet. My guess is that the shroud, while perforated, still hinders the breathability that the mesh inner boot would allow. It wasn't a big problem for me, though.



The Bottom Line: The Zoom Flight Clubs were quite a surprise on the basketball court. They require absolutely no break-in time, as they can go instantly from box to killer crossover. I would've loved having Zoom Air in the forefoot, but there was sufficient cushioning there nonetheless. My greatest concern is durability. Will the forefoot cushioning bottom out over time? Will the super-flexible outsole peel away from the super-soft shroud at the side of the shoe? I'll definitely be looking to answer these questions with continued playing time.