Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.6

Public Service Announcement: Fans of the Vapor 9.5s, we found the fit of the Vapor Xs to be slightly wider than the 9.5s. But don't spit out your coffee just yet; as with the 9.5s, the lacing system really does help you adjust the fit to suit your needs. Working with narrow feet and a high arch, Chris confirmed our findings. "I found the Air Zoom Vapor X shoes to fit a tad wider than the 9.5s they replace," he explained. "Fortunately, the lace system provided similar adaptability, so I was able to cinch them up for a secure fit. With two pairs of socks, I felt properly locked in and very comfortable. I thought the ventilation was improved, and my feet stayed nice and cool during my hitting sessions. The cushioning felt nice and responsive, while also offering plenty of protection on tough landings. My arches felt well protected, with no aches or strains during the entire test. Even though the shoes fit wider, I wasn't sliding around inside them, so I had no issues with blisters."

Finding the Vapor Xs to have a lot in common with the Vapor 9.5s, Mark said, "When I first put on the Vapor Xs I was greeted with both comfort and familiarity. The new Vapor Xs are not drastically different from the prior version, which also have a high degree of comfort right out of the box. Overall, if you're a player who likes the fit and feel of the Vapor Tour 9.5s, you'll probably approve of the subtle updates. I blindly put both shoes on and had a hard time discerning a difference in the way they slipped on my feet and how they felt once I had them on. Two thumbs up for the comfort level — three if I had another thumb."

Sean seemed thoroughly impressed with the feel of these shoes. He said, "Although I wouldn't exactly call the response of the Vapor Xs 'plush,' I will say they were quite comfortable. There was this nice blend of low-to-the-ground responsiveness and lightweight flexibility that produced really athletic feeling shoes. The lacing system let me customize the fit just the way I needed it to be."

The Vapor Xs felt great right out of the box to Jason, who said, "I thought these were very comfortable shoes. They needed no break in and were well cushioned for being so lightweight. It's not that super plush type of cushioning, but rather the more responsive kind, thanks to the Zoom Air in the heel. I'd say that they're just as comfortable as the 9.5 Flyknits. Even with slightly wider feet and low arches, I didn't have any fit issues to complain about."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

The Vapor Xs prove that shoes can be lightweight and supportive. Although the Vapor Xs comes in at just 13.6 ounces (size 10.5), the TPU midfoot shank renders the shoe stable on sharp cuts and quick takeoffs. Mark found plenty of support with his pair of Vapor Xs, and he enjoyed the balance of weight and stability. He said, "I consider the Vapor Xs to be lighter, high-performance tennis shoes, so I expected to give up a little stability in exchange for speed. That said, I have to concede that I was surprised at how stable the new Vapor X shoes were, even during abrupt changes in direction. One other trait worth mentioning is the extra bit of material added to the midfoot portion on the lateral side. The Vapor X's outsole extends out a little to enhance its stability, similar to the New Balance 1296."

Sean raved about the response he was getting, saying, "I did a few sprints in my Vapor Xs just to see how they would hold up against sharp and aggressive movements. I liked how they would flex a bit without folding over when I slid into the lines of the court. I wouldn't say they hold up as well as my Gel Resolutions, but for such light shoes, I was very impressed by the level of support they offered."

"Even though they offered a nice, lightweight ride, I thought these shoes still provided lots of support and stability," echoed Jason. "The Dynamic Fit system really helped lock my feet down, so I felt like I could move aggressively side to side without fear of rolling an ankle. They performed like I'd expect Zoom Vapors to perform in the stability department. I experienced a little bit of sliding inside the shoes when moving forward and trying to stop, so I did notice the slightest bit of rubbing on my big toes, but no toe jam or anything that severe."

Chris felt like the Vapor X's solid lacing system and surprisingly supportive upper contributed to the shoe's impressive showing in this category. He said, "I found it easy to get my feet locked into the Air Zoom Vapor Xs. The lacing system gave me a very secure fit, so I didn't have any unwanted sliding around inside the shoes. I was surprised at how well the uppers supported me. There's a lot of mesh in the uppers, but they still offered enough support to prevent me from coming off their base on aggressive lateral changes of direction. I also felt secure during quick stops, so I didn't have to worry about sliding into the ends of the shoes. The Vapor Xs were stable enough without feeling overly stiff and slow."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.7

It should not come as a surprise to anyone who has paid attention to the Vapor series over the years that durability was the lowest scoring category for the Vapor Xs. However, while the durability was not great, it was definitely an improvement over the previous models. Sean, who tends to prefer more durable shoes, explained, "It's unfortunate that the durability is so lacking in these shoes, otherwise I would definitely want to wear them more frequently. There's no way I would be able to afford them as a consumer, since they would wear out within a week or two of serious hitting. But I'm pretty tough on my shoes, and if you're the type of person who isn't, you could get more life out of them than I did. The Vapor line isn't known for being especially durable, so this shouldn't be news to anyone. I guess you can't have it all."

Jason was pleased with the update, saying, "This is where I definitely noticed an improvement over the previous Vapors. That's not to say these are durable shoes or anything; in the overall spectrum of tennis shoes they're still on the lower end of durability. I put about 10 hours of wear on my playtest pair before I started to see any real balding of the outsole."

Chris tends to wear his shoes out quickly, but he noticed that the Vapor Xs were lasting longer than he expected. He said, "The durability was much improved in the Air Zoom Vapor Xs compared to any of the previous Vapors. The outsoles felt noticeably harder, and the rubber compound proved to be much more resistant to wear. Toe durability was similar to previous versions — not great, but acceptable for speed-oriented shoes. With the durability improved, I felt these were comparable to the adidas adizero Ubersonic 2s and the Asics Gel Solution Speed 3s, whereas the previous Vapors didn't last as long."

Mark found the Vapor Xs plenty durable for his style of play, especially considering their weight. He said, "Well, the name 'Vapor' doesn't exactly conjure up thoughts of invincibility or longevity the way the name 'Cage 3' does, but durability is not what Nike was aiming for with the Vapor Xs. You can't really expect high-performance tennis shoes to be lightweight, durable and comfortable, but the Vapor Xs provide as much of all three as possible. At my age, I can't apply the brakes the way I used to, so I found the Vapor Xs pretty durable, but their overall storyline was exceptional comfort, along with being light enough to make me feel as though there may actually be a little Federer in me."

Traction - Score: 4.0

All of our playtesters found that the Vapor X's new outsoles were slicker than the previous model, but they disagreed about whether or not this change was an improvement. Ultimately, the differing opinions can be boiled down to preferences in traction. Jason needed an adjustment period to get used to the new feel of the outsoles, but ultimately enjoyed his experience. He said, "The new outsole pattern may be more durable than previous models, but it is also noticeably slicker. I slid out more than I usually do when I tried to stop and change directions in the Vapor Xs. It took some getting used to, but once I acclimated to it, I actually liked how the shoes were sliding. Even though there was some give when trying to stop, I didn't have issues slipping on that initial step toward the ball, which was good."

Chris, however, found that the loss in traction was having a negative impact on his game. He explained, "The increase in durability came with a decrease in traction. I found I was sliding on the court more than I have with previous Vapors. I'm not a player who slides into shots on hard courts, but I will slide to a stop coming out of a shot. In the Air Zoom Vapor Xs I was sliding more coming out of shots, and it was costing me some recovery time when I was getting back to the middle of the court. There was also a hard plastic part of the outsole under the arch area that would make contact with the court. I felt like that part was disrupting the traction because it offered little to no grip. I would have liked more traction, and I felt like I moved faster in previous versions."

For Mark, the Vapor X's traction varied depending on the state of the court. He said, "I feel like the outsoles of the Vapor Xs are a little harder than the Nike Vapor Tour 9.5's rubber outsole compound. I played exclusively on hard courts for this entire playtest and the traction in these shoes was spot-on, except on dirty courts. If the court hadn't been cleaned in a while I had some issues with sliding beyond what is comfortable for me during hard lateral stops."

Of all the playtesters, Sean seemed the most enamored with the level of traction, despite being irked by the same plastic piece Chris complained about. He said, "I felt like the Vapor Xs maintained good traction without being sticky. I never had trouble gripping the court, but I also felt like I could slide into shots when I wanted and change directions on a dime. My biggest gripe was that there was a hard plastic section in the middle of the outsole that protruded out a little and started scraping on the court, which made it sound like I had rocks under my shoes and even caused me to slip once."

Weight - Score: 4.6

The weight of the Vapor Xs proved to be one of those instances where less is more. Although our playtesters didn't elaborate much, they had nothing but praise when it came to weight. Chris remarked, "The Air Zoom Vapor Xs felt very light and fast on my feet. They flexed well and transitioned from heel to toe quickly. The weight of the shoes felt well hidden, and I thought they moved naturally with my feet."

This update definitely met Mark's expectations in the weight department. He said, "Personally, I consider any tennis shoe that weighs under 14 ounces to be on the lighter side. The new Nike Vapor Xs are not only light at 13.6 ounces (size 10.5), they also feel light moving around the court. In automobile terms, the latest Vapor X is far more of a sports car than an SUV."

"I haven't worn many shoes as light as the Vapor Xs, so they felt quite nimble on the court," Sean continued. "The Vapor Xs felt pretty bare bones, but still had enough stability to keep me feeling locked in and secure. I don't think I could rank shoes much higher in this category in terms of weight efficiency."

While Jason didn't see much of an improvement in this category compared to past models, he was still happy with the performance of the Vapor Xs. He said, "I felt quick and agile with these Vapor Xs on. There really isn't any noticeable difference, weight-wise, between these and the 9.5 or 9.5 Flyknit shoes. Impressive as usual."

Overall - Score: 4.4