Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.3

Our playtesters found the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Xs to have just as much cushioning as the beloved Vapor 9.5 Tours, if not more. The new upper construction was praised by some, but two playtesters weren't completely sold. Hannah was the first to compare these shoes to their predecessors. She began, "For those who loved and appreciated the comfort characteristics that made the Vapor 9.5s so popular, I believe that this update is an impressive follow-up. Like the Vapor 9.5 before it, the Vapor X features minimal, yet responsive, underfoot cushioning that offers a high level of step-in comfort and a connection to the court that not many other tennis shoes can compete with. I appreciated feeling fast and light on my feet in the Vapor Xs, but during longer periods on the court I experienced the downside of the low-to-the-ground design - some soreness in my feet. The speed-oriented construction just didn't protect my feet as well as built-up shoes would, so it ended up being a tradeoff. I've also found that with both the 9.5s and the Xs, the lack of any built-in arch support really works for my flat feet as far as fit is concerned, and there's enough room in the shoes to add my own inserts if needed. For me, the major comfort difference in the Vapor X would be the Dynamic Fit System on the uppers. My feet are narrow, and I like being able to achieve a locked-in feel without cinching up the laces too much on the top of my feet. The Vapor X's fit system was prominent on the lateral sides and was unique in that I could feel the effects of the lacing all the way around my foot — not just at the top. It made for an awesome, customizable fit, and gave me some added support as well. I also appreciated that the built-in mesh around the lacing system added a little extra breathability. For players who love the Vapor 9.5s or love lightweight, comfortable performance shoes, the Vapor X checks all the boxes and continues the lineage of one of the most comfortable tennis shoes on the market."

Michelle complimented the underfoot cushioning and the updated fit system, which accommodated her medium-width feet. She said, "Most recently I've been wearing the Flyknit Vapors, and before that the Vapor Tour 9s, so I was excited to try the long-awaited updated Vapor Xs! From the very first wear, I felt like the X was even more comfortable than the previous Vapors I'd worn. I found a good amount of cushioning underfoot and around my ankles. I took them straight to the court for a solid drill session and instantly enjoyed them. The fit was great for me, and I found they fit true to size. Although the lacing system was tough when cinching up the shoes, I could still get a tight tie, which is how I prefer wearing them. I know some of the playtesters had some issues with the Vapor Xs hitting them awkwardly on the medial side of their feet, but I didn't experience that. The comfort level lasted throughout the playtest for me."

The Air Zoom Vapor X's updated fit system didn't hold Brittany's narrow feet as well as she had hoped. She also experienced some slight discomfort from the uppers. Despite these complaints, Brittany was smitten with this model's cushioning and ventilation. She recalled, "When I first got these shoes I slipped them on and went to play a set. Since the Vapor 9.5s were some of my favorite shoes to play in, there was definitely a familiarity about them. The cushioning underneath my feet was more on the supportive side, while the cushioning around the ankles and through the tongue was plusher. The mesh uppers allowed plenty of ventilation, and my feet stayed cool throughout the playtest. I was impressed by how snugly the Vapor 9.5s had cradled my narrow-width feet in years past. These new Vapor Xs just didn't hold my feet in place as well, and I had a couple instances of toe jamming on aggressive movements. In both the Vapor 9.5s and in this model, I could feel some arch support on the lateral edge. I took the Vapor Xs off after hitting because the uppers pushed on a sensitive spot on the side of my foot, causing some discomfort."

Kristen initially noticed that the toe box of the Vapor Xs felt comfortable and fit her like a glove, but she had some fit grievances as the playtest progressed. She said, "When I slipped these shoes on I was reminded of the glove-like fit that their predecessor offered, and I felt well supported in them from the start. In fact, the first few times I hit the courts in these with the intention of evaluating them I realized I hadn't even noticed them on my feet. I felt light on my feet and moved around the court without any support issues or discomfort. I found they fit true to size, and the only upfront difference I noticed in comparison to the 9.5s was the toe box being a tad narrower, which suited my feet well. Unfortunately, about three weeks in (roughly 15-20 hours of wear), I noticed that the uppers seemed to be getting a little worn, and the fit started to feel less and less perfect. The front eyelets closest to the toe box started to loosen and weren't cinching as securely as they had at the onset."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

In a perfect world, lightweight, top-of-the-line shoes would have unlimited amounts of support and stability. While this isn't a perfect world, aside from a few complaints about fit, our playtesters found the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X's support to be above average. Michelle felt that the updated fit added support and stability. She said, "For a lighter-weight shoe, I was satisfied with the support and stability of these updated Vapors. I've never had an issue with this in past Vapor iterations, so I wasn't expecting any issues here. I found the shoes held my feet well. Sometimes, lighter-weight shoes aren't as stable or as supportive as I'd like, but the Vapor Xs checked both of those boxes for me. The lacing system really gave me that supportive feel, and I was never worried about rolling an ankle."

Unlike Michelle, Brittany had some struggles in this department. She said, "Like I mentioned in the comfort section, the new Dynamic Fit system did not hold my feet in place as well as the previous version. Looking at the shoes, the fingers appear to be cut deep closer to the midsole. This could explain why I was getting some gaping between the fingers when the shoes flexed. This allowed forward and backward movement inside the shoes, which led to some toe jamming on my more aggressive steps. However, I did find just enough stability to be confident in my movements."

Hannah's positive experience with the fit echoed Michelle's, and she added her two cents on the tradeoff between staying light and feeling stable. She said, "These are not the most stable or supportive shoes out there, and that's just part of their design. They are meant for easy cuts and to allow good cushioning with minimal material and weight. There were times when I had to be aware of my footing because the uppers offered more flexibility and less support around the midfoot than in other shoes. Despite this fact, I liked the support around my heels. I think this, along with the new fit system, provided enough support for me to feel confident moving in these shoes, even with a weak ankle. Though I felt a little unstable at times, I never took a fall thanks to the low-to-the-ground design. These shoes lent themselves to aggressive movements, and the support and stability accommodated this. I also believe that the amount of support and stability was comparable to the previous version; these shoes didn't feel any less or any more stable than the Vapor 9.5s."

Kristen's take on support and stability, like Brittany's, was dominated by a slight fit issue toward the end of the playtest. She stated, "Initially support and stability were good. Like the previous iteration, I loved how these shoes wrapped around my midfoot and forefoot securely, and I felt locked in without being uncomfortable or weighed down. As stated above, though, after a few weeks of wear the uppers started to stretch out and some of that locked-in, stable feel was lost, especially in my forefoot."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

After hours on the court, our team noticed normal wear on both the outsoles and the uppers of the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X. Michelle expressed no complaints as the playtest came to an end. She said, "I was really trying to wear down the outsoles of my shoes, and it wasn't easy. I wore them almost every day for three weeks and I'm starting to see a little smoothing, but overall they're holding up for me. I wasn't sure if the new outsole pattern would be able to handle aggressive use. I've seen some wear on the medial side of the toe box, but nothing crazy. I don't drag my toes, so my toe guards are almost impeccable. I never really wear shoes out through the rubber; I don't like to slide and I try to control my steps a bit more (a la the older generation of tennis movers), but I still spent a lot of time in these shoes and am very happy with how they're wearing."

Kristen noticed wear on the toes, but nothing out of the ordinary. "The main durability issues I had were with the uppers," she said. "Cosmetically, the soles of the shoes didn't show much wear and tear at all during the monthlong test period; I only had some minor wear at the toe from dragging my foot on serves."

Reporting the visible wear as typical for Vapors, Hannah hinted at the possibility of the new outsoles outliving the previous version. She noted, "After a month of wear (about four times a week on court), I noticed some slight smoothing underneath my toes, as well as some wear on the toe guards. I'll go out on a limb and say that the new outsole pattern may have the potential to increase durability levels on the outsoles. It's still too early to tell for sure, though. As the playtest currently stands, I have no durability complaints at all. For longtime Vapor 9.5 fans, I think that the lifespan of the Vapor Xs are about the same — possibly even extended."

The amount of wear on Brittany's shoes was comparable to the rest of the team's. Considering their lightweight nature, she said there was plenty of life left in both the outsoles and uppers. She recalled, "I easily logged in 15 to 20 hours on court over the monthlong playtest, playing both singles and doubles. For lightweight shoes, the outsoles held up well, and from the looks of it still have a lot of life left in them. I did see a small amount of wear under my arches, which isn't a normal place for me. It feels like two different materials on the outsole, and the area under the arch seems more like plastic than rubber. I could also see a little smoothing starting to happen under my toes. There isn't a ton of material in the toe area, but for the most part the Vapor Xs held up to my toe dragging. I can just see a very small amount of wear on the uppers."

Traction - Score: 3.5

The Nike Air Zoom Vapor X's new outsoles turned out to be a point of contention among our playtesters. Besides the improved Dynamic Fit System, the tread pattern was the other major update to the Vapor, and our team expressed mixed opinions about its effect on traction. Kristen found the traction to be somewhat sticky. She said, "At times I would notice some court sticking, more so on outside courts than inside. It didn't start until after a few weeks of wearing the shoes, maybe 15 hours of on-court wear."

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Michelle found herself slipping more than usual, and found it difficult to trust the traction. "This is the area I was most unsure of going into the playtest," she said. "We were all curious about how the new pattern would perform. I wasn't sure I would like the traction it offered, but I found no issues with traction — at least, not at first. After four to five hours of wear the outsoles became a bit slippery. I completely lost my footing on a backhand and found my left foot sliding out from under me, leaving me landing hard on my butt in the middle of a point. After that, I was apprehensive about moving aggressively in these shoes. I wish I could say this wasn't an issue, but I have to admit that it was a bit of a red flag for me. I also noticed that the hard bottom shank of my shoes caught a few times on the court. I would trip slightly getting to the ball, and I'm not completely sure why this was happening."

Brittany, like Michelle, was initially curious about the updated tread pattern. She said, "With the new outsole pattern I was interested to see how the traction would perform on the court. The traction on the Vapor X was different from any other shoe I've playtested. I had a one to two-hour adjustment period before I really felt confident moving. The biggest issue I had was that the grip and give of the outsoles didn't behave how I expected. There were a couple of times I thought I wanted a little give, and the shoes would grip the court, causing me to feel stuck. Then there were times I was slipping on an out-wide shot, causing me to lose momentum when I was trying to change directions. These issues started to disappear as the playtest went on; I got used to the traction, and I felt like the outsoles settled in."

Hannah also learned to like this new feature. "Besides the fit system, I think this category is the biggest departure from the Vapor 9.5," she explained. "The traction provided more grip at times than I expected. When you look at the outsole pattern you can see that there are spots on the tread that grab when switching directions. I think the 9.5s offered a more immediately predictable level of give, behaving more or less like you'd expect. These Vapor Xs still had plenty of give when I needed it, and after enough hours on the court I wasn't so surprised when the traction would grab the court on certain movements. At first this traction update was a knock for me, but after spending time in these shoes I think it's a nice feature — just one that takes a little while to get used to."

Weight - Score: 4.4

Known for being a standout in the lightweight class, the Vapors have always set the bar when it comes to quick movements and feeling light on the court. The Nike Air Zoom Vapor Xs are no exception. On court, our playtesters said they never found themselves thinking about their footwear, which they considered a major upside. "Just like I expected, these shoes are light and fast," Brittany said. "I felt super quick on the court. When I was playing sets I never even noticed the shoes on my feet and didn't feel hampered in any way. Since I prefer lightweight shoes, the Vapor Xs were pretty much perfect for me in this category."

Hannah also appreciated the Vapor X's low-bulk, low-weight design. She even went so far as to say that these lightweight shoes were a weapon for her game. She noted, "It's no secret that the Vapors have always been praised for their lightweight comfort and performance. When I'm competing the last thing I want to be thinking about is the material I feel on my feet, especially if I have any sense of being weighed down by it. The Vapor Xs are no different in that sense. I felt ready to move at any moment, and I could use my speed as a weapon. For me, feeling light on my feet is a necessity for achieving fluid movement on the court. By minimizing the material on the shoes while still offering great cushioning and fit features, the Vapor Xs never felt bulky or heavy and remain the standard for lightweight tennis shoes."

Kristen echoed Brittany and Hannah's opinions. She said, "As I mentioned before, I hardly noticed these shoes on my feet when first wearing them and was moving around the court freely, without any weight issues."

Michelle felt that the Vapor Xs struck a good balance between weight and support. She said, "I was expecting the shoes to play light, and they did. They never felt too heavy or dragged down. For me, this is what I prefer in lighter shoes. They aren't featherlight and lacking stability or support, but they aren't heavy or chunky either. They were as light as an adidas Ubersonic, but they felt like they had more body to them than those minimal shoes. They also felt similar in weight to the Asics Gel Solution Speeds. Really, no complaints about the weight of these shoes from me."

Overall - Score: 4.1