Nike Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.3

A cushioned Zoom Air unit in the midsole contributes to the exceptional comfort in the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4. Chris has plenty of experience wearing Nike shoes, both current and past models. He said, "I loved the look of the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s when I first saw them, and when I got them on court for the first time, they felt great. I have narrow feet and moved down a half size since my regular size was too wide, and the smaller size still offered plenty of room for my toes. After a 30 to 40-minute break-in the shoes were match-ready for me. I loved the amount of cushioning. There was enough for comfort without making me feel too elevated or isolated from the court. The uppers felt firm and supportive, but I never felt any hot spots, pinching, or rubbing, so comfort was good. My arches also felt nice and protected, so I was comfortable and confident moving around the court in the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s."

"These shoes were comfortable right out of the box, but they still needed a break-in," continued Jason. "Let me explain. What made these shoes comfortable was the fit. They fit wider in the forefoot because the tapering wasn't extreme at the toe box, and the uppers were supple and flexed without pinching. The break-in was necessary for the midsole and outsole. That material is pretty stiff, and it needed two to three hours before the shoes would easily flex with every step. The cushioning felt similar to that of the Cage 3, with a firmer and more responsive ride."

Both Simon and Benji from Tennis Warehouse Europe enjoyed the generous fit of the Vapor Cage 4s. Simon explained, "I was amazed by the comfort of the shoes from the moment I put them on. There is a layer of foam that surrounds your foot, and even if it makes the shoes a little less breathable, it protects you from friction and provides a soft feel. To make the comfort perfect for me, it would have required a higher arch support, but I'm using my own insole to adjust that. I have wider feet, and the Vapor Cage 4 fit me better as it is a bit wider than the Cage 3, especially in the forefoot."

Benji added, "I found these shoes very comfortable, and I never felt any pain when I played with them. I didn't need a lot of time to break them in and move efficiently around the court. I also found them spacious and generous width-wise. Even though my feet felt pretty close to the ground, I always felt a lot of cushioning underfoot, especially because of the materials used in the midsole."

The Tennis Only playtesters down in Perth, Australia, thought the Vapor Cage 4s were almost too comfortable. Justin said, "I found the shoes to be extremely comfortable, with soft, plush cushioning. While I enjoyed how comfortable the shoes were, I felt they lacked the response from the midsole cushioning of shoes like the New Balance 996v4 with FuelCell or the adidas SoleCourt with Boost."

Jaye also appreciated the Vapor Cage 4's plush feel. He said, "I found these shoes to be really comfortable and soft. They are quite low to the ground but have sufficient cushioning without being too firm. This is similar to the Vapor Xs, and I'm glad they kept this as part of the hybrid."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.2

The playtesters were thoroughly impressed with the stability the Vapor Cage 4s offered, though some were looking for more support at times. After some initial doubts, Benji was on board. He said, "At the beginning of the playtest I was worried I would have some issues with ankle stability. By the end of the testing period I could run and change directions with ease. I liked the support overall, and it helped me feel confident during match play."

Simon was in the same boat. He added, "I wasn't sure how the rounded shape of the outsole would perform, and I was nervous that it would make me feel unstable. However, I was surprised how much of that feeling disappeared when I stepped on the court. I felt very safe in these shoes, even on extreme directional changes or when I had to slide."

The stability was where the Vapor Cage 4s really excelled for Jason. He said, "The wider base provided a solid platform, and the upper maintained really good rigidity, so I never felt unstable when quickly changing directions. I was unsure how well the unique lacing system would keep my feet locked in place, but it definitely got the job done. The uppers wrapped around my feet securely, and when I cinched the laces up, my feet felt locked down."

"One of the standout features of the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s for me was their stability," echoed Chris. "I was always a big fan of the Nike Courtballistecs, and the stable ride of the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s reminded me of that series of shoes. I felt very secure moving side to side and never had any issues. It was the same story when sprinting forward and coming to a quick stop. The shoes supported my feet well, and I didn't have to worry about jamming my toes into the ends of the shoes."

On the other hand, the Tennis Only playtesters wanted a tad more support. Justin said, "The Vapor Cage 4s had a stable feel as soon as I put them on. The uppers wrapped around my feet securely, but when I started to move aggressively my feet were sliding around slightly inside the shoes. I'd recommend going down half a size to fix this issue."

Jaye had similar sentiments, adding, "My feet didn't feel 100 percent locked in when I was moving around. It wasn't noticeable when I was moving, just around the baseline and up at net, but I needed a bit more for when I was stretched out wide."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

Nike built up the outsole of the Vapor Cage 4s with Kurim material for extra durability, no matter the court surface. Jason still has plenty of life left in his pair of shoes after testing on a sticky indoor hard court. He said, "After 10 hours of court time I had trouble finding the areas of wear on the outsole. I was very impressed by how durable these shoes are. I'm not the toughest on my shoes, but I typically see more wear and tear on slicker outsoles that I can slide in, which these were. I'd have to wear these for another 10 hours before I could say for certain, but dare I say the durability on these is Barricade-like?"

After spending several weeks playtesting the shoes on both hard and carpet, Simon and Benji had nothing but compliments. They said, "We played over 10 hours, and the shoes still look like the first day we wore them. The outsole seems very solidly built. We didn't see any wear at the end of the playtest."

The Tennis Only playtesters played on a mix of grass and hard courts. Jaye had no issues with the durability. He said, "I was happy with the durability, and during my time testing the shoe, I found it to be quite similar to the Cage 3."

Justin had slightly different feedback, saying, "While these aren't as durable as shoes like the Asics Gel Resolutions or Court FF 2s, they are more than competent. The Vapor Cage 4s have improved on the older model's already good durability by having the outsole wrap around the toe guard and medial side of the shoe."

"Both the outsoles and uppers of the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s were built to last," added Chris. "I tend to be pretty tough on shoes, but I didn't put a dent in these. I saw the most wear under the big toe of my right foot, which is my highest wear area. The amount of wear is what I'd expect to see from a durability-guaranteed shoe. I also saw some scuffing on the uppers, but it was just scuffing, and the shoes were holding up just fine."

Traction - Score: 4.6

Our teams all agreed that the Vapor Cage 4s were the perfect shoes to slide in while maintaining enough grip to prevent slipping. Justin thoroughly enjoyed the overall traction experience of the Vapor Cage 4s. He noted, "I experienced a bit of a break-in period, but then I was good to go. The shoes felt forgiving when I was chasing down wide shots and wanted to slide a bit, or when I needed to change direction and sprint to the net."

Jaye only had one quibble; he found the outsole to be very squeaky. He said, "Traction was great, and I was able to start and stop comfortably. However, even into the second month of wearing them, the shoes were still squeaking on the hard courts. I didn't mind this at all, though."

Simon felt very connected to the court. He said, "This is clearly one of the strong points of the shoes, and you can feel that the design has been studied to make the shoes very dynamic. The very atypical shape of the outsole makes directional changes easier and quicker. It surprised me a lot for shoes of this weight."

Benji concurred, adding, "Even though the shoes were a little on the heavier side, I found them very dynamic and reactive when I had to accelerate to reach the ball."

The Vapor Cage 4s offered the right traction for Chris to move effectively. He said, "I liked the blend of grip and give I found in these shoes. I was able to sprint around with confidence, and I felt fast on that all-important first step. I could also comfortably slide out of a shot if desired. I played on indoor and outdoor hard courts, and the shoes offered predictable levels of traction on both clean and dusty courts."

The distinctive modified herringbone tread pattern was a mystery to Jason before the start of the playtest. He said, "The tread pattern is unique, so I didn't know what to expect. But I knew I really liked the traction after just one session on court with them. It's slick enough for me to slide out of my shots when moving laterally, but it had plenty of grip for other movements. The traction is reminiscent of the Vapor X shoes in that manner."

Weight - Score: 3.9

The Vapor Cage 4 is currently the heaviest shoe in Nike's tennis lineup, and while that fact was certainly clear to our playtesters, they never felt overly weighed down. Chris could definitely feel the weight of the shoes when playing. He said, "I wouldn't say the Zoom Vapor Cage 4s are super heavy shoes, but I was aware of them on court. The feel reminded somewhat of the Nike Courtballistecs, Zoom Cage 3s and adidas Barricades. I could feel the rigidity of the chassis, which gave the shoes a very solid and stable feel. Because these shoes didn't move and flex with my feet like the Air Zoom Vapor Xs, I was more cognizant of them during play. I don't think the Vapor Cage 4s slowed me down at all, but I can just put on shoes like the Air Zoom Vapor Xs and immediately forget about them, which wasn't as much the case here."

"There's a price to pay for all that durability, stability and support," added Jason. "And that price was a slightly heavier, slightly bulkier feel. I typically go for lightweight, speed-oriented shoes, but I actually didn't mind the weight of these Vapor Cage 4s. Once they were broken-in, the shoes transitioned well from heel to toe, so the weight wasn't as much of a factor."

Jaye and Justin had identical comments regarding the weight. Justin described it best, saying, "My initial thought when I held this shoe in my hand was that it was a little heavy, but as soon as I put it on my foot it felt like it was barely there. These Vapor Cage 4s molded to my feet, allowing me to feel surprisingly quick on court."

Benji had a small adjustment period with his pair. He said, "The weight was a little heavy at 15.6 ounces (size 10.5), so it was the only thing that I needed to get used to. These are pretty weighty shoes, but after a couple of hours I didn't notice it anymore."

Simon wrapped up the playtest, saying, "It is impossible to design a shoe that provides as much stability and security as this Vapor Cage 4 does without adding weight. On the other hand, Nike managed to make us forget this weight with its dynamic outsole design."

Overall - Score: 4.3