Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
If I don't like that low to the ground feeling, is the Vapor X still for me ?
Nike Vapor X
jmacdaununder2
Legend
If the don't release an Expressionist motif I'll just scream...
Seamus0510
New User
A Question For Fellow Zoom Vapor X Wearers
I have been a zoom vapor tour and even a lunar vapor devotee for nearly a dozen years. This new midsole and outer sole design of the Zoom Vapor X has lead me to the pages of this forum to pose a question to my fellow Zoom Vapor enthusiasts.
I recently purchased my FIRST pair of Zoom Vapor X shoes; the new fly knit model. I wore the shoes for four matches before my hips shifted and my back was thrown out. In the process of my daily adjustments, my chiropractor asked if I had been wearing new shoes, and I told him that I purchased new tennis shoes. He asked me to bring them with me to my next appointment, and when he put the shoes on the table and looked at the heels, he said: "there's your problem. The design of the heel is causing your feet to pronate inward, putting extra pressure on your ankles, knees, and hips. That's why your back is out". So back to the 9.5s, I went without incident and zero back problems.
As I stated earlier, I have worn nothing but Nike shoes for the better part of the last decade, and have never experienced any issues whatsoever. It is my belief that the new version of the Zoom Vapor is poorly made out of substandard materials to help increase Nike's profit margins on the line.
Anatomically the midsole and outer sole design of this shoe has left me shaking my head asking the question "how did they EVER think this was a good idea?"
I contacted Nike's customer service and they acted as if I lost my mind, saying that they've not received a single corroborating complaint about the design of this shoe. Which leads to my question...
Have any of you experienced any ankle, knee, or back pain since wearing these shoes? If so, please describe in detail.
Thank you in advance.
I have been a zoom vapor tour and even a lunar vapor devotee for nearly a dozen years. This new midsole and outer sole design of the Zoom Vapor X has lead me to the pages of this forum to pose a question to my fellow Zoom Vapor enthusiasts.
I recently purchased my FIRST pair of Zoom Vapor X shoes; the new fly knit model. I wore the shoes for four matches before my hips shifted and my back was thrown out. In the process of my daily adjustments, my chiropractor asked if I had been wearing new shoes, and I told him that I purchased new tennis shoes. He asked me to bring them with me to my next appointment, and when he put the shoes on the table and looked at the heels, he said: "there's your problem. The design of the heel is causing your feet to pronate inward, putting extra pressure on your ankles, knees, and hips. That's why your back is out". So back to the 9.5s, I went without incident and zero back problems.
As I stated earlier, I have worn nothing but Nike shoes for the better part of the last decade, and have never experienced any issues whatsoever. It is my belief that the new version of the Zoom Vapor is poorly made out of substandard materials to help increase Nike's profit margins on the line.
Anatomically the midsole and outer sole design of this shoe has left me shaking my head asking the question "how did they EVER think this was a good idea?"
I contacted Nike's customer service and they acted as if I lost my mind, saying that they've not received a single corroborating complaint about the design of this shoe. Which leads to my question...
Have any of you experienced any ankle, knee, or back pain since wearing these shoes? If so, please describe in detail.
Thank you in advance.
Reading your post feel it was written two years ago and newly resurfaced.
Nike had became brain damaged and ran by some fashion designers who don’t know sports business.
I guess nike’s CEO envy adidas fashion success and wants to mimic. But failed.
Because he don’t know the Nike customer base. Sadly.
Nike’s product is getting uglier each session passed by...
Tiger paints..... I was surprised .... then I shop around mr. Porter and found out Tom Ford is selling tiger strip under wear..
Ooh I c.... tiger strip is in the trend....
But for god’s sake... those wear tiger strip under wears don’t play tennis....
Under under... it is supposed to be u dear cover.....
However, the use of the shoe though is not as good as 9.5 but at least it’s still works and give some comfortable wear..despite its ugly looking.
Nike had became brain damaged and ran by some fashion designers who don’t know sports business.
I guess nike’s CEO envy adidas fashion success and wants to mimic. But failed.
Because he don’t know the Nike customer base. Sadly.
Nike’s product is getting uglier each session passed by...
Tiger paints..... I was surprised .... then I shop around mr. Porter and found out Tom Ford is selling tiger strip under wear..
Ooh I c.... tiger strip is in the trend....
But for god’s sake... those wear tiger strip under wears don’t play tennis....
Under under... it is supposed to be u dear cover.....
However, the use of the shoe though is not as good as 9.5 but at least it’s still works and give some comfortable wear..despite its ugly looking.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
The issue has been reported many times in this thread: supposedly it was a deliberate design to help with the sliding and extreme side to side movement.
It has nothing to do with "substandard materials" or being un/intentionally poorly made. It is like that by design. Whether you think that it is a good design is another matter.
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
My remaining two pairs of Vapor 9.5s are starting to wear out. I have a pair of the Vapor X which I bought awhile ago and rarely ever worn due to fitment not feeling quite right. Hurts my feet after matches and just doesn't give me confidence to go after shots like I normally would. Despite some indicating that the Vapor Prestige models are lower quality, I ordered a pair. I'm not holding out too much hope that the Prestige will be my match shoes but figured I try anyway. But yeah, as far as Vapor Xs go, I'll have to take a pass on them.
I tried on the Xs recently, and I maybe it was just the colorway I tried (or maybe not), but the laces were too short. I've never had a problem with the laces being short on any other sneaker. I read some other complaints about this, but I have no idea what Nike was thinking here. The shoes also were not as comfortable as the 9.5s; I passed on them.
AndI
Rookie
Seamus0510, I do not belong to Zoom Vapor enthusiasts. In fact, this week was the first time I ever got Nike shoes. First of all, I can confirm that your chiropractor had his reasons to make that statement. The difference which he probably pointed out to you is quite visible in comparison. The first picture below is the 2020 model of Adidas SoleMatch Bounce M, which I got about a week ago.
The second picture is 2020 Nike Air Zoom Vapor X HC. I got those a couple of days ago.
From this comparison, it is hard to resist to make a conclusion that Nike shoes appear to be tilted inwards more than Adidas. This conclusion is driven primarily by a steeper slope of the outside surfaces of the shoes. In Nike, they are tilted inwards at like 20 degrees, while the inside sides look fairly vertical. Having said that, with Adidas, a deeper side cut under than ankle bone could create an impression of a lesser tilt.
What I cannot tell without making measurements is whether Nike shoes have a built-in tilt in the sole, which would in effect increase pronation, or if the sole is flat while the upper part of the shoe is tilted, or if all of it is an optical illusion and pure imagination. The white part of the sole helps to create an illusion that sole is severely tilted, but if you visualize a straight line across the soles, it is not nearly as pronounced. Also, Adidas has a wider sole on the medial side (evidently, for better stability), which does not enable one to get the shoes as close to each other as with Nike shoes. This may also add to impression of a tilt in Nike, possibly greater than it is in reality. Also, overall shape of the shoes with a deeper sidecut in Adidas could make impression that Adidas shoe shape is just rounded without a tilt, which may or may not be true.
Tennis_Hands brought up the thought this this tilt may be there to facilitate sliding. Since these shoes are "HC" - Hard Court, I am not quite sure if sliding really takes place on concrete courts. However, this tilt may indeed be helpful in athletic stance, when feet are shoulder-wide or wider.
Regarding feedback on your symptoms. I did not get to wear these shoes yet (just got them). What I can say, is that I am trained in ski alignment and in making footbeds for skiing. In skiing, if you are out of alignment, you are not only out of balance on skis, but your knees also have high probability to hurt after a day of skiing. WIth athletic shoes, it is not as simple as much of misalignment is absorbed by the ankles, and you may or may not spend most of your time in a waking/running position, when your feet are hip-wide. Tennis is particularly special because players are supposed to spend a lot of time in a wide stance, e.g., after split step or during shuffling.
I can tell you that ski boots also have a small inward tilt, one sees numbers from 1.5 (for Head Raptor) to about 4-5 degrees (for some Salomon models). A small amount of a degree or two is not bad, but too much is definitely not helping.
Since you mentioned that you see chiropractor daily, you must be on the sensitive side. If you confirm that these shoes cause you pain, that it was not just a coincidence, that the symptoms repeat after each use, you will be better off not wearing them. Knee pain, especially on the medial or lateral side of the knee, is one of the symptoms which indicate that a person may need under-foot correction, i.e., a custom footbed with correction of calcaneal angle.
I once made flexible footbeds for my son's tennis shoes to compensate his pronation, but this turned out to be a challenging task because OEM insoles are very thin. I had difficulties with grinding down the footbeds to the point of them not taking excessive volume. There are technologies to make thinner footbeds but the cost of materials is higher and they are stiffer under the heel, so I opted against it. I doubt that custom footbeds for just a single model year of Nike shoes makes any sense for you. It is easier and cheaper to move to a different brand.
This is an alert for me, too. Thank you for sharing! I will make sure to wear them at home to assess if I feel any impact. At first glance, putting my size 12 Adidas on one foot and size 13 Nike on the other (as you can see, Nike is smaller than nominal size while Adidas is larger than nominal size, my street size is around 12.5) I could not immediately feel any difference that I could attribute to sole angle. All I noted that that Nike holds the heel better. If I find time, I might measure my center of knee position over the feet and play with alignment shims in an attempt to determine if this tilt is a reality or a visual illusion.
I recently had opportunites to shop at both Adidas and Nike employee stores. I am not partial to either. However, I do not understand the design direction in which Nike is moving. I think they lost much of their style this season. Most of what they sell now not only looks ridiculously overpriced even at the employee store pricing, but also totally out of style. I could not help asking over and over again, how did they come up with this ugly design, with pants, jackets, and shoes? I did not feel compelled to buy many of their items at any price because they are so unsightly. There are some exceptions, of course, but relatively few.
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XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Shopping at both Adidas and Nike employee stores? Sounds like someone was at PNW Sectionals in Portland...
AndI
Rookie
Well, if you live in Portland, it is not uncommon to get invitations to Adidas, Columbia, and Nike through either your work or your friends, oftentimes a few times through the year. No wonder, you go outside and see that people who run or play any sports outdoors wear these three brands more often than anything else.
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Gotcha. I was at USTA Sectionals and had the passes for those stores. But, yeah, I get to go every now and then through work.
Need some help, have been a loyal ASICS user for many years. First the resolution, then solution speeds (2 and 3). My size is 11.
Loved the SS3 most of all. The last resolution I had was the 6 and it was slightly wide. I believe my foot is narrow in the middle, but wide in the forefoot. All ASICS have been size 11.
Tried the Vapor 9.5 flyknit and hated it. I got the 10.5, based on the recommendations, but my large toe was hitting against the shoe when walking. In addition, they felt too narrow (felt those side rubber supports digging into my foot). So, only wore it a few times and stopped.
Due to the ridiculously bad SS FF by ASICS, I now need to find a a new shoe. So, I am hoping the new vapor actually works for me. Problem is I can’t find enough sizes to try here. They only had the 12 and it was definitely too long, but funnily width felt almost ok.
So, what size and width do I get? I am leaning toward 11.5 wide, but would like to hear from people more experience with Nike
I would love to get something as comfortable as the SS3 and as light if you have other suggestions, but need fit advice, as aside from Nike and ASICS, tennis shoes here are almost non existent.
Loved the SS3 most of all. The last resolution I had was the 6 and it was slightly wide. I believe my foot is narrow in the middle, but wide in the forefoot. All ASICS have been size 11.
Tried the Vapor 9.5 flyknit and hated it. I got the 10.5, based on the recommendations, but my large toe was hitting against the shoe when walking. In addition, they felt too narrow (felt those side rubber supports digging into my foot). So, only wore it a few times and stopped.
Due to the ridiculously bad SS FF by ASICS, I now need to find a a new shoe. So, I am hoping the new vapor actually works for me. Problem is I can’t find enough sizes to try here. They only had the 12 and it was definitely too long, but funnily width felt almost ok.
So, what size and width do I get? I am leaning toward 11.5 wide, but would like to hear from people more experience with Nike
I would love to get something as comfortable as the SS3 and as light if you have other suggestions, but need fit advice, as aside from Nike and ASICS, tennis shoes here are almost non existent.
I love the Adidas Ubersonic3 .
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Every foot is different. Try 11.5 wide. TW offers free shipping/returns on orders over X dollars. It'll be cost neutral if they don't work out.
I've only worn the SS FFs. The heel area never gripped me well. I'm currently playing in the Court FF 2s. I like them a lot. The Vapors aren't cushioned at all compared to other Nike offerings. If you like FF cushioning, might I recommend the Zoom Zero? It's a higher ride (but totally stable) - but feels even softer and more responsive than the FF cushioning from Asics.
Thanks for the info and advice. I actually have the first court FF and like them a lot. However, my problem is ventilation. Due to the heat and humidity, they are not the best shoe for Dubai. The SS3 have been my main shoes for the past 2 years and I was really hoping that the SS FF would be the best of both worlds, but completely failed to meet even basic expectations.
I tried the Zoom Zero in the store, but had exactly the same problem as TW’s Sean:”When I first put on my pair of Zoom Zeros I immediately felt a pinching on the top of my foot where the stitching of the canvas upper met the tongue.”
According to him, he didn’t have a problem on the court, but the sensation persisted. Don’t think I could wear those.
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Oh, and Zoom Zeros don't breath. So it sounds like a No-Go.
OK, so I got the 11.5 standard width, it was too short (again my big toe hits the front). I tried with different socks, but even with the thinnest, running and stopping is uncomfortable. I think my main issue with this shoe is how they curve at the front from the upper towards the outsole, which shortens the effective space of the toe box. This is in contrast with the solution speed, which has an almost flat upper profile and the outsole curves upwards at the front.
So, I went to a local store to retry the 12 with thick socks. Frankly, better feeling. I bought those in a colorway I didn't really want, simply coz I needed shoes. Will be exchanging the ones I got from TW.
Now, a general note about quality of construction: how do you guys like these Nike shoes?! Compared to ASICS, they are really subpar. The stitching inside the shoe leaves loose pieces of material that rub against the feet and move around. Even the tongue inside the shoe has the same problem. I've never seen this in an ASICS shoe.
As for feel when wearing and playing, they feel comfortable enough in terms of cushioning. So, I don't think they are stiff compared to the Solution Speed (definitely compared to the Resolution would be another story). I feel higher from the ground compared to the SS and it still feels weird on the sides, where some of those elevated rubber points pressure my feet. The shoes also feel large compared to the SS and a bit heavier.
Nonetheless, moving around and running in them is fine. I don't feel they are clunky. Lateral movement is where this shoe excels. They are really supportive and feel comfortable.
I wore the thickest Thorlos I have, but on running a drop shot and stopping violently with my foot extended, I stubbed my toe. I think this is due to them being a bit too long for me. Most probably, I need a size 11.7 in these shoes
So, I went to a local store to retry the 12 with thick socks. Frankly, better feeling. I bought those in a colorway I didn't really want, simply coz I needed shoes. Will be exchanging the ones I got from TW.
Now, a general note about quality of construction: how do you guys like these Nike shoes?! Compared to ASICS, they are really subpar. The stitching inside the shoe leaves loose pieces of material that rub against the feet and move around. Even the tongue inside the shoe has the same problem. I've never seen this in an ASICS shoe.
As for feel when wearing and playing, they feel comfortable enough in terms of cushioning. So, I don't think they are stiff compared to the Solution Speed (definitely compared to the Resolution would be another story). I feel higher from the ground compared to the SS and it still feels weird on the sides, where some of those elevated rubber points pressure my feet. The shoes also feel large compared to the SS and a bit heavier.
Nonetheless, moving around and running in them is fine. I don't feel they are clunky. Lateral movement is where this shoe excels. They are really supportive and feel comfortable.
I wore the thickest Thorlos I have, but on running a drop shot and stopping violently with my foot extended, I stubbed my toe. I think this is due to them being a bit too long for me. Most probably, I need a size 11.7 in these shoes
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shev_milan
New User
I have same problem with stitching fabric leaves loose pieces on the medial side...
It's pretty annoying as it keeps rubbing my bunion on my right foot.. ( my left foot is just fine )
So I added thin scotch tape to fix this problem and it works out fine.. I hope someday that loose pieces gone while the break in process completes.
I went half size up to 42.5 from previous Vapor Tour since I have pretty wide foot 2E and referred to this forum to decide whether to stay with same size or half-size up.... Lateral movement and running forward to the net were as good as I was, without any heel slippage or other instability..
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In my opinion, this is just shoddy manufacturing. The way shoes are made, they stitch the upper parts, before stitching/gluing the upper to the outsole. So, all that is needed is that when stitching the upper pieces, they should remove the excess material. This is standard practice in clothes and most shoes. I honestly can't believe that a shoe as expensive as Nike has such a low quality control!
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
This shoe has great cushioning. just wish air zoom was in the front as well. and why does this shoe have so much Squeeking noise when I walk. When playing tennis it isn't bad but when I am out and about and shopping and stuff, it is really annoying
D
Deleted member 768841
Guest
anybody see the Vapor Next on NikeTalk’s tennis thread? It looks ugly as sin, but more durable.
Pages 348/349
niketalk.com
Pages 348/349
Official Nike Tennis (and other brands as well) Thread
Hey guys, anyone seen the new wimby vapor x knit ? can i humbly ask if the white is indeed white or is it more cream coloured? The pic shown in Tennis Warehouse seems to be white, but ************** and ******* seems more cream colored in nature. i was comparing it to the vapor Xs and those look...
niketalk.com
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
yea but why does it make that super high pitched Squeeky noise when you walk ?
D
Deleted member 768841
Guest
****e, I shouldn’t have said anything! Now I know what it’s like to be a Nike insider...
David Le
Hall of Fame
You can say/describe things about it, but posting pics is a hard no on here. For example, the 2021 Pro Staff pics that were leaked on here.****e, I shouldn’t have said anything! Now I know what it’s like to be a Nike insider...
D
Deleted member 768841
Guest
Dang it’s 2021? No longer on the even years?
David Le
Hall of Fame
Well technically it’s 2020, but might be pushed off till next Spring (Federer)
jmacdaununder2
Legend
...
airchallenge2
Hall of Fame
anybody see the Vapor Next on NikeTalk’s tennis thread? It looks ugly as sin, but more durable.
Pages 348/349
Official Nike Tennis (and other brands as well) Thread
Hey guys, anyone seen the new wimby vapor x knit ? can i humbly ask if the white is indeed white or is it more cream coloured? The pic shown in Tennis Warehouse seems to be white, but ************** and ******* seems more cream colored in nature. i was comparing it to the vapor Xs and those look...
Thanks for sharing. I don't find it that ugly, just insanely expensive
gusgrand
Rookie
Probably just down to new shoes bedding and breaking in.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
i have been wearing this for 6 weeks now and air zoom pocket seem to be making more Squeeky noise. is this defect ? should i return it to Nike ? i bought this at discount from fleebay
Just played my first tennis in some Mizuno Wave Intense Tour 5, was previously using Vapor X. The Mizunos are far better in my opinion. More cushioning, especially in the forefoot and toes where the X practically has none. The lack of pronation in the Mizunos compared to the X was very noticeable, in a good way.
The X also flex far too much for me at the level of the first joint of my big-toe, and I was getting pain in this joint and also along the base of my arches.
The X look really cool, but I'll be sticking with these Mizunos.
The X also flex far too much for me at the level of the first joint of my big-toe, and I was getting pain in this joint and also along the base of my arches.
The X look really cool, but I'll be sticking with these Mizunos.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
so i have been trying this for 9 weeks now and the cushioning is starting to become HARD. is this normal ? and this shoe just isnt' that great for bad knees. It was relatively soft cushion during 1st few weeks but as it gets older, its cushioning becomes harder and it doesnt' feel good. also oddly enough, it's not that great at giving you Connected feel to the ground.
Yonex Eclipsion with power cushion stays soft for 4-5 months. It starts to lose its Bouncy feel after 4 weeks or so but it still stays soft after that which i liked.
Yonex Eclipsion with power cushion stays soft for 4-5 months. It starts to lose its Bouncy feel after 4 weeks or so but it still stays soft after that which i liked.
D
Deleted member 768841
Guest
Have yoI been wearing them daily or on and off? For me I wear them on and off and the cushioning decompresses and gets softer.
My pair were severely lacking in cushioning. I was getting foot and knee pain which I'm not getting in my Mizunos now.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Really ?? i thought Mizuno shoes had very poor thin cushioning ? someone had said this in the past
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
well, you are right. TW review loved the new and improved cushioning on mizuno tour 4.
Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 4 Men's Shoe Review
www.tennis-warehouse.com
D
Deleted member 768841
Guest
TW probably will delete it. I’ve seen it though, it’s kinda ugly. Doesn’t even look like a vapor.
Mr Backhand
Rookie
Yeah, kinda like ZVC4 but knit
