Nike Air Zoom Cage 4 Release Date ?

David Le

Hall of Fame
I wish Nike would incorporate the React cushioning in the middle or on the heal. Similar to the Zoom Pegasus Turbos. Those are my favorite running shoes.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
now that I think about it, the VC4's have a serious Kyrie 2 Low vibe to them.

I think it's good for Nike Court to steal from Basketball a little bit. BBall has way more R&D than tennis. Maybe we'll get another legend like the Air Tech Challenge 2.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
I wish Nike would incorporate the React cushioning in the middle or on the heal. Similar to the Zoom Pegasus Turbos. Those are my favorite running shoes.
I love Pegasus Turbos, but weird things happen when you mix cushionings throughout the midsole. Have you tried on the React 270s? Theres a big hard air bubble in the back and cushy React in the forefoot. The transition from heel to forefoot its hard to soft and feels really weird. I would not like that in a tennis shoe.
 
now that I think about it, the VC4's have a serious Kyrie 2 Low vibe to them.

I think it's good for Nike Court to steal from Basketball a little bit. BBall has way more R&D than tennis. Maybe we'll get another legend like the Air Tech Challenge 2.

Yes, I looked at the Kyrie 2 Low last week and held them in my hands. The difference definitely only seems to be the external "bells and whistles".
 

SDN

Professional
News on some other shoe that will be close to launch?
Will Kygios have a new shoe or just new color?
Thanks
 
tts for me. fit my feet better than the cage4 did. I’d say smidge wider (not in a bad way) and a more flexible upper. I’m a big zoom zero guy but wanted to try these out.

Same. I have 5 ZZ and a NB Lav at home but want to give these a try when they drop online in a few days. Cage 3 was just such a weird fit so am hoping these are better
 

ArliHawk

Hall of Fame
Same. I have 5 ZZ and a NB Lav at home but want to give these a try when they drop online in a few days. Cage 3 was just such a weird fit so am hoping these are better

i have what a running store employee referred to as a Nike foot, and i couldn’t even get comfortable enough in the cage 3 to use them to walk the dogs. These are a better fit and even if they don’t work as tennis shoes I can at least wear them as gym shoes.
 

ArliHawk

Hall of Fame
Played in them for the first time tonight and have some initial thoughts. First they passed my baseline test: neither my feet nor my knees hurt after playing for 2 hours and I did a lot of running.

For reference my go to shoe right now is the zoom zero. Know they aren’t durable for people that are hard on shoes, but I’m usually not that bad on shoes. Neither the cage 3 nor the vapor x work for me.

these shoes are very stable on the feet and I’d describe the fit as a narrow medium if that makes sense. Feel that with the lacing system and bootie construction, these should work for a lot of different foot shapes. They run tts. Certainly not as cushioned as the zoom zeros, but much more comfortable than the bricks that are the cage 3. Feel that they flex really well with the foot and offer really good court feel for a stability shoe. Didn’t feel clunky by any means and was able to move fast in them.

Initial thought is that these are definitely keepers. Do I like them as much as zoom zeros? Probably not, but I think they they are a great addition to he Nike lineup and a huge improvement over the cage 3. Think they take a bit of a break in, but will be a great shoe when broken in.
 
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Thanks for the early write up! :) Just wondering how the forefoot width is compared with the Vapor X and Vapor X knit? I've got the Vapor X clay which is wide enough for me, and I also have the knits which are tighter/narrower than the Vapor X clays but still okay for me.
 

TagUrIt

Hall of Fame
Initial thought is that these are definitely keepers. Do I like them as much as zoom zeros?

Again thanks for the feedback, I was a big ZZ fan, but the lace eyelets kept breaking on me. I ended sending them back (two different pairs) and getting the Nike Cage 3’s. Initially I wasn’t feeling the Cage 4’s, but I will definitely give them try especially after your review. (y)
 

ArliHawk

Hall of Fame
Thanks for the early write up! :) Just wondering how the forefoot width is compared with the Vapor X and Vapor X knit? I've got the Vapor X clay which is wide enough for me, and I also have the knits which are tighter/narrower than the Vapor X clays but still okay for me.

i would say similar to vapor x, but maybe slightly more snug. But you aren’t constrained by the plastic of the vapor, either.
 

swizzy

Hall of Fame
$150 is getting crazy. it looks narrow in the pictures.. kinda ugly.. but that never stopped me with the cage line... i never balked at the price for the cages since i always pick up mine for $70 or less.. they last 3 months so ugliness is a short lived problem, and i fit the cage 3 which broke in very quickly .. as long as the new cage has the guarantee and it fits than the extra $20 for this new version will only mean a larger voucher in the end.. still have a dozen cage 2's in the closet so i look forward to trying these out when they hit the clearance rack
 

Gemini

Hall of Fame
I got mine a couple of weeks ago. I'll add my take as it's slightly different from Arlihawk's.

I have all 3 (and now 4) of Nike's top tier shows -- Vapor X, Cage 3, Zoom Zero and the Vapor Cage 4. The Cage 3 is my match shoe and I prefer it above both the Vapor X and Zoom Zero. Normally a men's US 9 but had to go to 9.5 in the Vapor and Cage 3 but my "true" size in the Zoom Zero.

As for the Vapor Cage 4, I can't say that this is actually a take on the Cage 2/3 as this seems more of revision of the Zoom Zero. I had the chance to try on both my true size and a half size bigger and my true size definitely is the right fit. A half size bigger was too long in the toe.

The upper shape and silhouette in general are more closely related to a more sculpted but reinforced Zoom Zero. I'll agree with ArliHawk in that the fit is more narrow medium but it's not uncomfortable. Just snug. Compared to the Cage 3, the only knock against the Vapor Cage is that it puts a bit more pressure on the area foot where the phalanges meet the metatarsals. Not uncomfortable but noticeable.

The cushioning of the Vapor Cage might be more than the Cage 3 but it's difficult to tell given that the feel and design of the shoe is vastly different from the Cage 3. It's definitely MUCH firmer than than the Cage 3. Again, not uncomfortable but noticeably different. Compared to the Zoom Zero, I actually prefer the Vapor Cage. I found the Zoom Zero cushioning a bit too plush and that left my foot feeling unsupported over long periods of play resulting in some extra soreness.

As for the performance on court, while the Vapor Cage does require a little bit of break-in, it's not drastic. I've had (3) 2-hour sessions this week and they are settling in nicely. It rides higher than than the Cage 3 but I felt more connected to the court than the Zoom Zero. The only on court negative for me is a bit of heel slippage and there's no way to lock it in due to lack of an extra eyelet.

Overall, I think the Vapor Cage is a solid offering though, to be honest, I'm not sure why it carries the Cage name. For me, it's really an updated design of the Zoom Zero. It's a more fitted and sculpted version with beefed up durability at the toe. The only deal-breaker, at the moment, for me on this shoe is the inability to lock in the heel given that I'm experiencing some slippage. Also, we're in fall/winter weather here so I don't really know how these are going to fair in really hot weather.
 
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TagUrIt

Hall of Fame
I'm not sure why it carries the Cage name. For me, it's really an updated design of the Zoom Zero.

Thanks for the unfiltered review. I think I will still give them a go. I liked my ZZ when I had them. Do you mind me asking how did you get them so early? Are you a Nike Playtester?
 

Gemini

Hall of Fame
Thanks for the unfiltered review. I think I will still give them a go. I liked my ZZ when I had them. Do you mind me asking how did you get them so early? Are you a Nike Playtester?

Used to be a playtester but not any longer. I'm still connected with a handful of Nike reps that sometimes hand me the random pair to put through the paces and provide feedback on the final product. That's how I ended up with a pair so early this time but I couldn't share my thoughts publicly until now. I think they became available for retail this week but I've had them for about 3 weeks.
 

Znak

Hall of Fame
I got mine a couple of weeks ago. I'll add my take as it's slightly different from Arlihawk's.

I have all 3 (and now 4) of Nike's top tier shows -- Vapor X, Cage 3, Zoom Zero and the Vapor Cage 4. The Cage 3 is my match shoe and I prefer it above both the Vapor X and Zoom Zero. Normally a men's US 9 but had to go to 9.5 in the Vapor and Cage 3 but my "true" size in the Zoom Zero.

As for the Vapor Cage 4, I can't say that this is actually a take on the Cage 2/3 as this seems more of revision of the Zoom Zero. I had the chance to try on both my true size and a half size bigger and my true size definitely is the right fit. A half size bigger was too long in the toe.

The upper shape and silhouette in general are more closely related to a more sculpted but reinforced Zoom Zero. I'll agree with ArliHawk in that the fit is more narrow medium but it's not uncomfortable. Just snug. Compared to the Cage 3, the only knock against the Vapor Cage is that it puts a bit more pressure on the area foot where the phalanges meet the metatarsals. Not uncomfortable but noticeable.

The cushioning of the Vapor Cage might be more than the Cage 3 but it's difficult to tell given that the feel and design of the shoe is vastly different from the Cage 3. It's definitely MUCH firmer than than the Cage 3. Again, not uncomfortable but noticeably different. Compared to the Zoom Zero, I actually prefer the Vapor Cage. I found the Zoom Zero cushioning a bit too plush and that left my foot feeling unsupported over long periods of play resulting in some extra soreness.

As for the performance on court, while the Vapor Cage does require a little bit of break-in, it's not drastic. I've had (3) 2-hour sessions this week and they are settling in nicely. It rides higher than than the Cage 3 but I felt more connected to the court than the Zoom Zero. The only on court negative for me is a bit of heel slippage and there's no way to lock it in due to lack of an extra eyelet.

Overall, I think the Vapor Cage is a solid offering though, to be honest, I'm not sure why it carries the Cage name. For me, it's really an updated design of the Zoom Zero. It's a more fitted and sculpted version with beefed up durability at the toe. The only deal-breaker, at the moment, for me on this shoe is the inability to lock in the heel given that I'm experiencing some slippage. Also, we're in fall/winter weather here so I don't really know how these are going to fair in really hot weather.
Dang, that's a bummer to hear. I don't fit well in the ZZ at all. Good thing I stocked up on some cage 3s.
 
I got mine a couple of weeks ago. I'll add my take as it's slightly different from Arlihawk's.

I have all 3 (and now 4) of Nike's top tier shows -- Vapor X, Cage 3, Zoom Zero and the Vapor Cage 4. The Cage 3 is my match shoe and I prefer it above both the Vapor X and Zoom Zero. Normally a men's US 9 but had to go to 9.5 in the Vapor and Cage 3 but my "true" size in the Zoom Zero.

As for the Vapor Cage 4, I can't say that this is actually a take on the Cage 2/3 as this seems more of revision of the Zoom Zero. I had the chance to try on both my true size and a half size bigger and my true size definitely is the right fit. A half size bigger was too long in the toe.

The upper shape and silhouette in general are more closely related to a more sculpted but reinforced Zoom Zero. I'll agree with ArliHawk in that the fit is more narrow medium but it's not uncomfortable. Just snug. Compared to the Cage 3, the only knock against the Vapor Cage is that it puts a bit more pressure on the area foot where the phalanges meet the metatarsals. Not uncomfortable but noticeable.

The cushioning of the Vapor Cage might be more than the Cage 3 but it's difficult to tell given that the feel and design of the shoe is vastly different from the Cage 3. It's definitely MUCH firmer than than the Cage 3. Again, not uncomfortable but noticeably different. Compared to the Zoom Zero, I actually prefer the Vapor Cage. I found the Zoom Zero cushioning a bit too plush and that left my foot feeling unsupported over long periods of play resulting in some extra soreness.

As for the performance on court, while the Vapor Cage does require a little bit of break-in, it's not drastic. I've had (3) 2-hour sessions this week and they are settling in nicely. It rides higher than than the Cage 3 but I felt more connected to the court than the Zoom Zero. The only on court negative for me is a bit of heel slippage and there's no way to lock it in due to lack of an extra eyelet.

Overall, I think the Vapor Cage is a solid offering though, to be honest, I'm not sure why it carries the Cage name. For me, it's really an updated design of the Zoom Zero. It's a more fitted and sculpted version with beefed up durability at the toe. The only deal-breaker, at the moment, for me on this shoe is the inability to lock in the heel given that I'm experiencing some slippage. Also, we're in fall/winter weather here so I don't really know how these are going to fair in really hot weather.

Really appreciated. Nice comment
 

Gemini

Hall of Fame
Dang, that's a bummer to hear. I don't fit well in the ZZ at all. Good thing I stocked up on some cage 3s.

One major design change from the ZZ in the Vapor Cage that you can't see in photos is the shoe opening. The Zoom Zero is full slip-on bootie design that is fully attached on both sides of the shoe. It's like pulling on a sock that has a shoe molded to it IMO. That makes it a challenge getting in and out for sure. The VC4 is a more of wrap-around design.

The lateral/outside of the VC4 is a one-piece design where the tongue is part of the upper, not separate BUT the medial/inside (arch-side) is detached. It sort of wraps over the top of the foot. That allows you to spread the opening more easily to get the foot in an out. Still, the overall design is still somewhat narrow compared to the Cage 3. Like you, the Cage 3 will probably remain my go-to shoe.
 

Scoop

Rookie
How's the fit at the heel? I feel like I'm locked in with the Vapor X. I had to return my ZZ due to slippage. Would love to give the new 4's a whirl if the heel is snug.
 

n80aoag

Professional
Purchased my size 8.5 Vapor Cage 4's on the 14th on a recent trip to Ohio, in the purple/black/pink colorway with the orange accents on the heels. Put in 2 hours of court time with them on Sunday. I'm coming from the Cage 3's in a size 9, Ubersonic 3's in a size 9, and have previously tried the Zoom Zeros but found a size 9 too long and narrow but an 8.5 in the ZZ too snug. The Vapor Cage 4's required no break in period for me. So much more comfortable and cushioned than the Cage 3's, and with the outsole I had more traction than the slippery Cage 3's. Heel lock down was not an issue for me, like they were in the Adidas SoleCourt boosts that I bought in an 8.5 but the heels would slide around just walking around in them so I immediately returned them.

I am very picky with shoes but the Vapor Cage 4's impress me. They have similar design and functional features to a basketball shoe, namely the Kyrie Irving lineup, but in a Zoom Zero and tennis focus silhouette without the wonky fit of the ZZ's that I experienced. Overall I am very pleased with this release and plan to get more colorways for tennis and for use in the gym with them.
 
Any input on toe-dragging durability? I blow through my left pair of shoe of Vapor Xs and Cage 3s in about 2 weeks due to dragging and am looking for durability, especially at the $150 price range. Thanks.
 

n80aoag

Professional
Can't speak to the durability of the fabric lace loops on the medial side of the shoes, but will keep you posted. Regarding toe dragging durability, there is A LOT of outsole/reinforcement to the toe and medial sides that experience the most damage during toe dragging. My only concern right now, as others have mentioned, is that I've been playing in 30-50 degree F weather and I haven't experienced how hot the shoes can get yet. There isn't much for ventilation or obvious ways for heat to escape through vents or holes. Ventilation is yet to be tested.
 

innoVAShaun

Legend
According to TWE, men and women's are the same colorway for Spring '20.
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Deleted member 746200

Guest
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Got my pair from TW today. Tbh I’m not impressed with them from the first try. Fit is wired. Seems like Nike did notice the top box is super tight and low in cage 3 and then they make this cage 4 toe box hella high. Length wise is true but my toes are swimming inside the toe box and I don’t think I can go down half a size based on the length is good. The burrito thing on the pier is weird as well. The inside part is too thick and outside is thin and feels unbalanced somehow. Cushion is disappointed as well. Zoom zero has way better cushion. And the weight of the cage 4 is hella heavy. Overall just disappointed and I’m seriously thinking return them and get two more pairs of zoom zero in pretty much same price...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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ArliHawk

Hall of Fame
Was kind of surprised by the posted weights on these because they don’t feel heavy to me.

also looking forward to the GP coming out this summer which appears to be a zoom zero update
 

408tennisguy

Semi-Pro
I think the black and green colorway of the vapor cage 4 looks bettter than the current offering by TW. Saw this on a competitor website
 

XFactorer

Hall of Fame
Tennis Warehouse has all the colorways too!


Brittany, TW
Um, what's going on with the laces on the medial side of the white pair?? Was it just a sample shoe photo? The other two colors aren't this way...

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TW Staff

Administrator
The white colorway was an image provided to us by Nike. We will update the image once we get our stock in as I do not think that is correct.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW
 
Officially RIP to the days of full MSRP outsole warranty vouchers no matter the purchase price. Cage 4 card specifically states voucher is for price listed on the sales receipt. I know it sounded like they adopted this earlier this year but now it's in writing.
 
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