Definitive opinions on Vapor VI?

[stormholloway]

So I've been a bit disappointed by the Asics Gel 2. The first run of these shoes were fantastic, but with the second run they hurt my feet, just when walking. I get pinched in strange places. I feel Asics lost their way.

I used to wear Vapors religiously, and took the V model out on the court today and was pleased. So what are the opinions of people who went from the V to the VI? Is the VI just uncomfortable? Just requires break-in or is hopeless? I like how it's considerably lighter than its predecessor, but added stiffness is unwelcome since I felt the Vapor V was actually rather stiff.

I might just get another pair of the V's but I'm always tempted by new products, sadly. Plus they have a clay version which is all I play on.

Thoughts?

 

[stormholloway]

Ok, how about some vague and inconclusive opinions? Anyone have some of those?

 

[Grover Sparkman]

Well there's the problem with mold and red spots that is pretty well known. When I tried them on in a store, they felt stiff and difficult to walk in (even more than other shoes) because the exterior is plasticky. They felt supportive of my feet, though, and they were cushioned well. I'd have bought them if not for the fact that they felt like plastic shoes. I wound up going with breathe cages, which aren't exactly broken in out of the box, but I felt like they were more comfortable than the Vapor VI's.

 

[Al Czervik]

Ha, I held off chiming in because I was never a Vapor guy. Something about the way the sole hit the ground felt clunky to me, even though others loved the low ride. I got seduced by the black ones when released and bucked up for a pair. They definitely took at least 10 wears to break in nicely for me. Even now, I blister up at the toes if I'm not wearing two pairs of socks and tape up. All of that sounds bad, but the payoff is solid. The cushioning feels better than prior versions of Vapors that I tried on (though admittedly never bought). The traction is excellent. Breathability is decent to date. It is a pretty sweet low ride. The jury is still out on durability, but if you are playing five times a week, don't buy Vapors. For as bad of a rap as they get, I think they feel way better than the Ballistecs I've tried on at the store. IMO, this shoe may not be worth $115, but it is worth $85 or so if it gets reduced. I still think Breathe Free II is a much better offering, but this is next on the Nike totem pole IMO.

 

[mozzer]

I have done the opposite, gone from Vapor VI to GR2. Hated the Vapor VI, couldnt play for more than half an hour without being in total agony, they killed my feet! They creasded in really weird places, on my left shoe it was right on my little toe which gave me phat blisters. To be honest, they werent half as durable as the GR2 have been so far (which i know everyone will disagree with). My 2 cents.

 

[chris_ah1]

Vapor VI - very thin, good for narrow feet and supinators (arched). give you a light nimble on the toes feel.

Ballistic 1.3 - much heavier, wider and very nice for pronators (flat). Nice and planted, very comfortable for pounding the court. But I find it is a bit too tight on the top of my left foot by the toes to the foot. Nice design. Nice roll grip. sticky. stable. nice tight glove-like feel. Not so much impact comfort and absorbtion, but good cushioning all round.

REsolution 1 - lots of manufacture defects imo. took too many pairs to get one that didn't pinch the top of my left foot by the toes (like the ballistics do, but worse). Very good impact comfort, but not as bouncy as the resolution 2.

Resolution 2 - much better manufacture. I like the design scheme too. good room around my feet whilst still being secure. However, not as precise as the ballistecs for fit - but that meant i had no pinching which means it was a taker. Great heal support actually without going to crazy levels of the vapor VI. Best impact comfort, but not particularly soft like the ballistec 1.3 and certainly not as overly cushy as the K-swiss.

Vapor V - light nimble, but not particularly durable, comfort like the ballistec 1.3 for fit, but not as much cushioning or long-term comfort.

Propulse - too narrow, too tight, junk. Same for propulse 2. totally wrong fit for my foot. appropriate width was WAY too long.

Addidas Barricade V - never thought i would say this, but as comfortable and well cushioned they are for their bulk, I felt a bit unsteady in them. They reassure, but you do feel a bit too high. Not as good as the IVs, although much better feel in the upper.

Barricade VI *if it existed*- would be the lowers and ride of the IV and uppers of the V

K-swiss - pre misoul - lots of comfort. Very big, wide. I liked their range of shoes but found them too clumpy. I didn't have enough nimbleness with them...even compared to the barricade - and that was not because of weight or size, but because they were so cushy i felt unsafe. Barricades, Vapor V, ballistec and asics resolution 1/2 all made me nimble because i trusted them.

Either because of their glove-like abilities (nikes), sheer stability from heft (barricade) or impact protection (asics)

You simply have to decide what you want.

If your quite old, K-swiss are the best.

If you are a hard court pounder and load up on your open stances then barricades.

If you like overall comfort the ballistecs or Vapor V are good.

Asics resolutions too are overall very comfortable, but don't give you that glove-like comfort and security of the nikes. They are nimble and do let you pound spot to spot - good for lightfooted peeps who change direction.

I must say, Asics and Nike certainly lead the field IMO.
On the one hand asics let you be nimble from unparralleled impact softening, and their light weight-feel and heel support.

But the nike's let you change direction due to their glove-like nature and sheer grip when you finally decide on a contact spot.
Ballistecs are more durable than the asics btw.

Vapor V show wear immediately.
Asics show wear immediately but less than Vapor V, especially at the edges and pivot points.
Ballistecs - nobody could tell I had played with them for so long looking at the sole. But there was some toe and wear on the 'roll sole' is.
Barricade Vs - no marking.

I managed to play about 15hours with each of them. Propulse got no court time. rubbish shoe. I was helping the club store decide what to stock XD

choices that won were ballistec 1.3, asics 2 and K-swiss range (for older players).
So far K-swiss are outselling the rest because they are a fair bit cheaper.

 

[tarkowski]

So I've been a bit disappointed by the Asics Gel 2. The first run of these shoes were fantastic, but with the second run they hurt my feet, just when walking. I get pinched in strange places. I feel Asics lost their way.

I used to wear Vapors religiously, and took the V model out on the court today and was pleased. So what are the opinions of people who went from the V to the VI? Is the VI just uncomfortable? Just requires break-in or is hopeless? I like how it's considerably lighter than its predecessor, but added stiffness is unwelcome since I felt the Vapor V was actually rather stiff.

I might just get another pair of the V's but I'm always tempted by new products, sadly. Plus they have a clay version which is all I play on.

Thoughts?

Hey Storm,

Sorry to hear your second pair aren't faring well. I really like the GRII and my 2nd and 3rd pairs are just as great fitting as the first. I'll consider myself lucky in this regard.

Tried the Vapor VI and after a short break-in period, really liked that shoe as well. Felt the forefoot was wider than those in the past, and the mid-foot was more narrow, but not too narrow for me. This resulted in the shoe being very glove-like for me, but good for my somewhat wide (D-E) forefoot.

Break-in for me was mild. On first try, they felt stiff as boards. And my feet hurt in this shoe, in a way no other shoe had done. But I didn't need weeks - just a few hours on court and wearing around the house a day did the trick. They transformed from very stiff, to quite comfortable actually. I have read this to be different for different folks. YMMV of course.

Once broken in, I felt very fast and very planted in this shoe. The impact cushioning is better than all vapors past, but not quite as good as the GRII. To me, these two shoes are similar in that they are both very light, responsive, and planted shoes. The Vapor VI is slightly more planted, while the GRII is more cushioned. The GRII is also better ventilated.

Ultimately, I returned the Vapor VI because of the mold problem and the GRII were a great alternative with better comfort out of the box and better cushioning. I have had a nagging case of patellar tendonitis and the Asics have been wonderful for that.

 

[tarkowski]

Vapor VI - very thin, good for narrow feet and supinators (arched). give you a light nimble on the toes feel.

Ballistic 1.3 - much heavier, wider and very nice for pronators (flat). Nice and planted, very comfortable for pounding the court. But I find it is a bit too tight on the top of my left foot by the toes to the foot. Nice design. Nice roll grip. sticky. stable. nice tight glove-like feel. Not so much impact comfort and absorbtion, but good cushioning all round.

REsolution 1 - lots of manufacture defects imo. took too many pairs to get one that didn't pinch the top of my left foot by the toes (like the ballistics do, but worse). Very good impact comfort, but not as bouncy as the resolution 2.

Resolution 2 - much better manufacture. I like the design scheme too. good room around my feet whilst still being secure. However, not as precise as the ballistecs for fit - but that meant i had no pinching which means it was a taker. Great heal support actually without going to crazy levels of the vapor VI. Best impact comfort, but not particularly soft like the ballistec 1.3 and certainly not as overly cushy as the K-swiss.

Vapor V - light nimble, but not particularly durable, comfort like the ballistec 1.3 for fit, but not as much cushioning or long-term comfort.

Propulse - too narrow, too tight, junk. Same for propulse 2. totally wrong fit for my foot. appropriate width was WAY too long.

Addidas Barricade V - never thought i would say this, but as comfortable and well cushioned they are for their bulk, I felt a bit unsteady in them. They reassure, but you do feel a bit too high. Not as good as the IVs, although much better feel in the upper.

Barricade VI *if it existed*- would be the lowers and ride of the IV and uppers of the V

K-swiss - pre misoul - lots of comfort. Very big, wide. I liked their range of shoes but found them too clumpy. I didn't have enough nimbleness with them...even compared to the barricade - and that was not because of weight or size, but because they were so cushy i felt unsafe. Barricades, Vapor V, ballistec and asics resolution 1/2 all made me nimble because i trusted them.

Either because of their glove-like abilities (nikes), sheer stability from heft (barricade) or impact protection (asics)

You simply have to decide what you want.

If your quite old, K-swiss are the best.

If you are a hard court pounder and load up on your open stances then barricades.

If you like overall comfort the ballistecs or Vapor V are good.

Asics resolutions too are overall very comfortable, but don't give you that glove-like comfort and security of the nikes. They are nimble and do let you pound spot to spot - good for lightfooted peeps who change direction.

I must say, Asics and Nike certainly lead the field IMO.
On the one hand asics let you be nimble from unparralleled impact softening, and their light weight-feel and heel support.

But the nike's let you change direction due to their glove-like nature and sheer grip when you finally decide on a contact spot.
Ballistecs are more durable than the asics btw.

Vapor V show wear immediately.
Asics show wear immediately but less than Vapor V, especially at the edges and pivot points.
Ballistecs - nobody could tell I had played with them for so long looking at the sole. But there was some toe and wear on the 'roll sole' is.
Barricade Vs - no marking.

I managed to play about 15hours with each of them. Propulse got no court time. rubbish shoe. I was helping the club store decide what to stock XD

choices that won were ballistec 1.3, asics 2 and K-swiss range (for older players).
So far K-swiss are outselling the rest because they are a fair bit cheaper.

Outstanding review Chris! Of those in your review, I've tried the Barricade V, Vapor V, Vapor VI, Ballistec 1.3, and GRII - and a KSwiss Defier that wasn't mentioned. I'm in agreement with your assessment. I liked the KSwiss, but ultimately found their cushioning too plush. The GRII and Ballistec feel just as good, but with much better responsiveness.

There are some good shoes on the market right now. I'm using GRII more than the others - it just seems to have a great combination of everything: cool, responsive, cushioned, and good fit. I agree that they are not as glove like as the Nikes, but do fit me well nonetheless.

In the next couple weeks, I'll be playing more extensively in a new pair of Ballistec 1.3 in my normal size. I ultimately found the .5 smaller too small and constraining - and too hot. My regular fits great, and man, what comfort. Seems more cool as well - probably because a little more room for my feat to breathe.

Take care

 

[stormholloway]

Vapor VI - very thin, good for narrow feet and supinators (arched). give you a light nimble on the toes feel.

This is interesting because I have narrow high arched feet, so maybe I should just give this shoe a go and see what happens.

Thanks for your reviews by the way; extremely helpful.

Hey Storm,

Sorry to hear your second pair aren't faring well. I really like the GRII and my 2nd and 3rd pairs are just as great fitting as the first. I'll consider myself lucky in this regard.

Tried the Vapor VI and after a short break-in period, really liked that shoe as well. Felt the forefoot was wider than those in the past, and the mid-foot was more narrow, but not too narrow for me. This resulted in the shoe being very glove-like for me, but good for my somewhat wide (D-E) forefoot.

Break-in for me was mild. On first try, they felt stiff as boards. And my feet hurt in this shoe, in a way no other shoe had done. But I didn't need weeks - just a few hours on court and wearing around the house a day did the trick. They transformed from very stiff, to quite comfortable actually. I have read this to be different for different folks. YMMV of course.

Once broken in, I felt very fast and very planted in this shoe. The impact cushioning is better than all vapors past, but not quite as good as the GRII. To me, these two shoes are similar in that they are both very light, responsive, and planted shoes. The Vapor VI is slightly more planted, while the GRII is more cushioned. The GRII is also better ventilated.

Ultimately, I returned the Vapor VI because of the mold problem and the GRII were a great alternative with better comfort out of the box and better cushioning. I have had a nagging case of patellar tendonitis and the Asics have been wonderful for that.

I really only like light, low to the ground shoes like the Vapor and Gel Res. My problems with the Res2 are just strange. Just from walking, the right shoe pokes and pinches the top of my big toe every step I take. It happens when the shoe flexes. And I also get a pinch just above my pinky toe on the left shoe. I don't know why.

I'll give the VI a try and if it turns out to be a bust just go with the V.

 

[velkov]

Vapor VI - very thin, good for narrow feet and supinators (arched). give you a light nimble on the toes feel.

Ballistic 1.3 - much heavier, wider and very nice for pronators (flat). Nice and planted, very comfortable for pounding the court. But I find it is a bit too tight on the top of my left foot by the toes to the foot. Nice design. Nice roll grip. sticky. stable. nice tight glove-like feel. Not so much impact comfort and absorbtion, but good cushioning all round.

REsolution 1 - lots of manufacture defects imo. took too many pairs to get one that didn't pinch the top of my left foot by the toes (like the ballistics do, but worse). Very good impact comfort, but not as bouncy as the resolution 2.

Resolution 2 - much better manufacture. I like the design scheme too. good room around my feet whilst still being secure. However, not as precise as the ballistecs for fit - but that meant i had no pinching which means it was a taker. Great heal support actually without going to crazy levels of the vapor VI. Best impact comfort, but not particularly soft like the ballistec 1.3 and certainly not as overly cushy as the K-swiss.

Vapor V - light nimble, but not particularly durable, comfort like the ballistec 1.3 for fit, but not as much cushioning or long-term comfort.

Propulse - too narrow, too tight, junk. Same for propulse 2. totally wrong fit for my foot. appropriate width was WAY too long.

Addidas Barricade V - never thought i would say this, but as comfortable and well cushioned they are for their bulk, I felt a bit unsteady in them. They reassure, but you do feel a bit too high. Not as good as the IVs, although much better feel in the upper.

Barricade VI *if it existed*- would be the lowers and ride of the IV and uppers of the V

K-swiss - pre misoul - lots of comfort. Very big, wide. I liked their range of shoes but found them too clumpy. I didn't have enough nimbleness with them...even compared to the barricade - and that was not because of weight or size, but because they were so cushy i felt unsafe. Barricades, Vapor V, ballistec and asics resolution 1/2 all made me nimble because i trusted them.

Either because of their glove-like abilities (nikes), sheer stability from heft (barricade) or impact protection (asics)

You simply have to decide what you want.

If your quite old, K-swiss are the best.

If you are a hard court pounder and load up on your open stances then barricades.

If you like overall comfort the ballistecs or Vapor V are good.

Asics resolutions too are overall very comfortable, but don't give you that glove-like comfort and security of the nikes. They are nimble and do let you pound spot to spot - good for lightfooted peeps who change direction.

I must say, Asics and Nike certainly lead the field IMO.
On the one hand asics let you be nimble from unparralleled impact softening, and their light weight-feel and heel support.

But the nike's let you change direction due to their glove-like nature and sheer grip when you finally decide on a contact spot.
Ballistecs are more durable than the asics btw.

Vapor V show wear immediately.
Asics show wear immediately but less than Vapor V, especially at the edges and pivot points.
Ballistecs - nobody could tell I had played with them for so long looking at the sole. But there was some toe and wear on the 'roll sole' is.
Barricade Vs - no marking.

I managed to play about 15hours with each of them. Propulse got no court time. rubbish shoe. I was helping the club store decide what to stock XD

choices that won were ballistec 1.3, asics 2 and K-swiss range (for older players).
So far K-swiss are outselling the rest because they are a fair bit cheaper.

great article - good for you !!

 

[TMCW140]

Yeah, thanks for all this guys- trying to decide to go for more V's or the Vi's

 

[stormholloway]

Here's a question: does the VI have anything in particular that is better than the V? Is there anything it has over its predecessor?

 

[origmarm]

For what it's worth the VIs I found stiffer and narrower than the already narrow Vs, couldn't wear either ....

I post however as if you like low to the ground I have yet to find a better clay shoe than the Oscillate clay version. I had to get them 1.5 sizes too big though so they fit. They are definitely love them or hate them shoes though, fantastic imo. Very popular in Italy for some reason from what I remember hence likely to be readily available for you.

Cheers, Orig

 

[tarkowski]

Here's a question: does the VI have anything in particular that is better than the V? Is there anything it has over its predecessor?

Yes. To me, it has an order-of-magnitude better cushioning, while still providing that planted, low-to-the-ground feel.

Also, for me, the fit is better (once broken in). This may be a negative to some prior-Vapor lovers. The fit in the forefoot is quite a bit wider - so very nice for my D-E forefoot. The midfoot is actually narrower - so the shoe has a more wasp-like shape to it than prior Vapors. I'm guessing the forefoot will be too wide for some, but the midfoot keeps things glove-like so it might be a non-issue.

These were the best-fitting and most cushioned vapors for me. Barring the mold issue, I would still have them.

As a comparison, I also really liked the V, but I could not fit into the prior-generation Vapor's at all due to the narrow width.

 

[Grover Sparkman]

I will say I'm impressed with the Breathe Cage 2's durability. I've played 8 times in the last two weeks on them, and I'm not exactly light on my feet, and there's very minimal wear on them so far. It is impressive, I must say.

 

[stormholloway]

For what it's worth the VIs I found stiffer and narrower than the already narrow Vs, couldn't wear either ....

I post however as if you like low to the ground I have yet to find a better clay shoe than the Oscillate clay version. I had to get them 1.5 sizes too big though so they fit. They are definitely love them or hate them shoes though, fantastic imo. Very popular in Italy for some reason from what I remember hence likely to be readily available for you.

Cheers, Orig

Love the Oscillate, but it's not a perfect fit for me. I have narrow feet with high arches and find the Oscillate to accommodate a flatter slightly wider foot.

Yes. To me, it has an order-of-magnitude better cushioning, while still providing that planted, low-to-the-ground feel.

Also, for me, the fit is better (once broken in). This may be a negative to some prior-Vapor lovers. The fit in the forefoot is quite a bit wider - so very nice for my D-E forefoot. The midfoot is actually narrower - so the shoe has a more wasp-like shape to it than prior Vapors. I'm guessing the forefoot will be too wide for some, but the midfoot keeps things glove-like so it might be a non-issue.

These were the best-fitting and most cushioned vapors for me. Barring the mold issue, I would still have them.

As a comparison, I also really liked the V, but I could not fit into the prior-generation Vapor's at all due to the narrow width.

Did you notice any discomfort at all? I heard issues about the lace rings digging into the foot and some stiffness around the collar.

 

[chris_ah1]

thanks guys. best bit of it all was I got to play a lot of tennis!!

 

[tarkowski]

Love the Oscillate, but it's not a perfect fit for me. I have narrow feet with high arches and find the Oscillate to accommodate a flatter slightly wider foot.



Did you notice any discomfort at all? I heard issues about the lace rings digging into the foot and some stiffness around the collar.

Hey Storm,

At first I did. They were quite stiff, the whole of the uppers as well as the collar. But after a couple of times out, they pretty much molded to my feet and I didn't have any issues with the lace rings or any of the area around the ankle.