The SLAM x Nike Zoom Hyperflight ‘Starfish’ drops August 25th for $170, marking the second sneaker to release from Nike’s ongoing collaboration with the basketball magazine. It won’t be sitting on shelves long either, based on how fast the first pair in this collection moved.
Why the early buzz on this collab actually means something
Here’s the detail that puts this release in a different light than a standard drop announcement. The first sneaker in the SLAM x Nike pack, the ‘Safety Orange’ colorway, released earlier this month on August 15th and sold out almost immediately. It’s now reselling for an average of $233 on StockX, a jump of roughly 37 percent over its $170 retail price. That’s a real signal for anyone deciding whether to try for the ‘Starfish’ pair at retail or brace for resale prices once it disappears from SNKRS too.
What the shoe actually looks like
The ‘Starfish’ upper is covered in glossy orange patent leather that catches light almost like a magazine cover, a deliberate nod to SLAM’s own branding pulling through into the design. Grey panels wrap the collar and heel, black detailing runs through the tongue and lacing, and white accents on the Swoosh and outsole keep the palette from feeling flat. A small embroidered S sits on the heel as the only overt branding, and the shoe keeps its original Zoom Air forefoot cushioning, staying true to the silhouette’s early 2000s build. The style code is IV6130-800.
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Why Nike picked this particular shoe to bring back
The Zoom Hyperflight isn’t a random choice for this partnership. Designer Eric Avar built the original in 2001 with an exoskeletal upper structure that still looks unlike anything else in Nike’s current basketball lineup, and it’s spent the last several years being reintroduced through player exclusive tributes, including a version built around NBA legend Jason Williams that debuted this spring. SLAM has covered hoops, sneakers, music and street culture since launching in 1994, which makes the Hyperflight’s early 2000s DNA a natural fit for a collaboration built on nostalgia.
What else is coming in this collection
The Hyperflight ‘Starfish’ won’t be the last release tied to this partnership. Nike and SLAM have already confirmed additional pairs coming in the GT Cut 4, Sabrina line and Ja 4, expanding the collab beyond retro silhouettes into current performance models athletes are wearing on court right now. That mix of throwback and modern gives the pack a wider pull than a typical one and done nostalgia release.
Where to actually get a pair
The SLAM x Nike Zoom Hyperflight ‘Starfish’ releases through Nike SNKRS at launch. Given how quickly the first colorway in this pack disappeared and how much it’s already commanding on resale, anyone planning to buy at retail should have their SNKRS account ready well before the drop window opens.
