Nike Has Given Up on Tennis

SinneGOAT said:
Title. Since 2019 I have seen a shocking decline in the quality of Nike’s designs and effort in tennis products. They haven’t updated the cage 4 in nearly 5 years, which the design and function of it has been entirely surpassed. The vapor has basically lost its entire identity and there isn’t a high quality speed shoe to replace it. they have made no effort to update their cushioning technologies to stand up against adidas and ASICS and others. The apparel they’ve been making has also declined incredibly since 2019, the last good outfit they made was USO 2020, and since then it’s been terrible all around. They haven’t made a memorable outfit with an interesting design that had more than 3 minutes of thought put into them. To my memory they haven’t even PUT OUT a pattern on their shirts since 2020. In fact USO 2021 and 2022 are the EXACT SAME OUTFITS.

I simply cannot believe that Nike cares in any way about putting any effort and quality and thought into their products, where it’s all terrible designs and mind numbingly basic colorways. They care so little that on their recent ad for the vapor 11 with Alcaraz, he’s just wearing the old vapor pro right there! Nike has given up on tennis and making new and exciting products for mediocrity and easy money. Tennis obviously isn’t Nike’s biggest money maker, but they’ve completely given up on their products.
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I believe for all sports the Nike problem is since 2016 Nike wanted to add the new Pabax foam and carbon fiber into every sport but 90% of leagues said no on adding as they did not want people having a bounce advantage so even now when most other brands have a similar foam and carbon fiber, Nike is still pushing said foam/carbon fiber and if no foam in something like Olympic wrestling carbon fiber in shoe so all sports a shoe is using Pabax foam with carbon fiber or minimum of carbon fiber so Nike being in forefront of tech
 
Alcawrath said:
Aren't Nike running shoes so innovative they're actually banned in some competitions because the technology is literally too good?
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No not at all, Nike like New Balance have made a ban shoe here in NB is called a Ban shoe and Nikes who copied idea made a NA before model. All of this is basically based off a whole real issue going back to a Nike Sprint Shoe that has been ban because of safety concerns as some sharp parts were on a springy model here hey broke 2 rules. Meaning under World Athletics (track and field governing body) these shoes do not meet requirements they had to add rules like max on foam level 38 mm or how many plates a shoe can have in production, 1 for road running and 2 he non carbon plate for spikes and 1 carbon fiber plate for stiffness or a single carbon fiber plate for spikes and continuing on. So far only a few brands like Adidas top Sprint model or Puma having a similar Sprint is an all on piece carbon.
 
heavyD said:
I guess not too many of you follow MLB or you would know about Nike's current MLB uniform disaster. The company is in a fair bit of trouble of late.
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Problem was Nike contracted out for super beyond cheap price to Fanatic's brand where or said price nobody could design a uniform for said kind of money here money was for both uniform design price and making said uniforms for $100,000 total which is not even enough for just producing a decent uniform in general or all who need a uniform and some teams in sheer see though had to wear old pants until Nike as forced by MLB Players Association to make a new uniform during early offseason which only came a month after season started come back out with old uniforms or a similar update where ergonomic pockets in new pants feel off.
 
Casey 1988 said:
No not at all, Nike like New Balance have made a ban shoe here in NB is called a Ban shoe and Nikes who copied idea made a NA before model. All of this is basically based off a whole real issue going back to a Nike Sprint Shoe that has been ban because of safety concerns as some sharp parts were on a springy model here hey broke 2 rules.
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Disagree, the tech clearly provides an advantage and was banned and here's a quote from the world athletics director explaining why they banned it. It is because the tech provided an unfair advantage https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a30721631/nike-vaporfly-ban/
 
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dgf. said:
The last Nike shoes I had were basketball shoes and running shoes. I switched to Under Armour for basketball and Hoka for running.

I have never bought Nike tennis shoes, nor do I have any Nike apparel or accessories for tennis. I mostly wear Adidas and have one pair of Asics clay shoes.

No more Nike.
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Last Nike Running I have are old Nike Miler Cross country I got in 2008 and in 2022--2023 some single season worn almost new Nike Cross country Jenna Star III model women's size 9 I used no spikes on so hen I do get back in for 5 k and under races on trails I have shoes. I also got until 11's in Brooks Cascadia Bought a few models on sale and have now a cheap clone of older models where a rock plate is missing because I think running in shoes on roads with rock plate was helping worsen my hip issue I did not have prior to a hit by car.
 
Alcawrath said:
Disagree, the tech clearly provides an advantage and was banned and he's a quote from the world athletics director explaining why they banned it. It is because the tech provided an unfair advantage https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a30721631/nike-vaporfly-ban/
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Problem was prototype issues here and how Nike as planning on suing other brands for using carbon fiber and a similar foam, tried on ASICS where a fact overseas model as okay becuse Nike did not yet have a global patent and as going to try on HOKA at the time even when HOKA's model was a trail model not a road model using carbon fiber and a similar pabax foam only a slightly more dense version for trails trying to skirt. all in 2017 a year after 2016 Olympics, Nike model of sprint shoe as ban citing safety issues of runner wearing should a single part get bent while running/sprinting. Early on in 2017 you saw some Nike sponsored top level in 100 meters wearing Nike 400/800 meter--1500 meter stiffer mid distance spike using top tech and a few wearing lesser Nike sprint models being a disadvantage becuse of Adidas having a carbon fiber no midsole print shoe which as better for sprinting being so light and a one piece carbon fibers plate.
 
Casey 1988 said:
Problem was prototype issues here and how Nike as planning on suing other brands for using carbon fiber and a similar foam, tried on ASICS where a fact overseas model as okay becuse Nike did not yet have a global patent and as going to try on HOKA at the time even when HOKA's model was a trail model not a road model using carbon fiber and a similar pabax foam only a slightly more dense version for trails trying to skirt. all in 2017 a year after 2016 Olympics, Nike model of sprint shoe as ban citing safety issues of runner wearing should a single part get bent while running/sprinting. Early on in 2017 you saw some Nike sponsored top level in 100 meters wearing Nike 400/800 meter--1500 meter stiffer mid distance spike using top tech and a few wearing lesser Nike sprint models being a disadvantage becuse of Adidas having a carbon fiber no midsole print shoe which as better for sprinting being so light and a one piece carbon fibers plate.
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I'm not sure what you're arguing at this point. Fact is, Nike produced a running shoe (vaporfly) with tech that was too advanced thus giving runners an unfair advantage and was banned.
 
Alcawrath said:
I'm not sure what you're arguing at this point. Fact is, Nike produced a running shoe (vaporfly) with tech that was too advanced thus giving runners an unfair advantage and was banned.
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Never as fully ban model only doing again what Nike did for top sponsored runners in 2016 using prototypes so people like Galen Rup Could win a Marathon silver medal, you still see models of Nike using paxbax and carbon fiber being used by elites, though brands like ASICS Meta models or Adidas in 2023 are basically now making nearly same level shoe if not better in Adidas 2023 model being $500 good for 26.22 miles/42.2 kilometers before falling apart and nearly cheating by only making minimum amount of models 10,000 with a few being special colors 500 for even more $$ for competing in Road Running. Now newest rules have model must be an actual lineup in standard production run not some limited release thing unless limited release is only a colorway thing as color usually dose not affect performance.
 
10s4ever-2 said:
I have not used Nike anything for a long time and now with their injection of their "woke" politics into their marketing, I will NEVER wear anything of theirs again. NB and Under Armor for me now.
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Had to becuse of ho Nike had Misogynistic former Nike Runner Alberto Salzar who ran himself into the ground was coaching all distance runners in Nike team who wanted to be in Nike's facilities lived here full time for Nike Distance Project and Nike let Albero run full time no outside interference. Nike was screwed when Alberto Salzar as found to have kept some runners weights so low few men were no longer producing testosterone and most women no longer had periods, also a gray area was Alberto was found to have people get a legal inhaler use and go max use each time 1/2 hour before each event even if person is not needing an inhaler. Events from this nearly killed a runner and when doing medical tests Alberto selected his men on be on Nike Distance Project so they could lie on periods to Nike headquarters.

Marry something or another she skipped collage going pro and apparently broke news on issue to press . Marry she sill is sponsored but by different brand a women's only Athena Running and gets free NB shoes for life but can no longer run or even move faster then 25 min per mile/1.66 kilometers and as instrumental in messing up Nike more then she needs to claiming all Nike sponsored athletes and Collages cheat as do leagues using all Nike because she had a mental breakdown she will keep suing Nike once a year where her case is dismissed right away until Nike goes bankrupt, sales declining due to performance issues and or QC she claims is her doing on why Nikes sales are tanking all becuse she had a Mental breakdown and according to physiatrist doctors will never be fixed until Nike is gone as a brand or is a women's only company run by women making only women's products.

Now Nike Distance Project place is shut down as a full time facility only allowing access to tech on site with use of proper people involved scheduling in advance like Galen Rupp or others outside of USA are doing.
 
2025 feels like a pivotal one for nike tennis. two years + from Alcaraz first major. Can they capitalize on his likeness? Will they give him the Fed/Rafa, slow burn treatment (gradually building up the gear/branding over the years) or pull an Osaka and blast the market with 10-15 pieces per season drop? Will be very interesting to see how they proceed there, especially given how marketable Alcaraz seems to be. Additionally, they need to get Sinner's logo cleaned up and on some gear. Also great a clear deviation between their styles. In the French open semi they wore the same outfit in different colors, gotta be better than that Nike...................
 
I wouldn't say so, They skipped the "Next Gen" but signed Alcaraz and Sinner which are more important and recently they agreed to create a custom logo for Carlos like Fedal's RF and Bull logo.
 
Casey 1988 said:
Had to becuse of ho Nike had Misogynistic former Nike Runner Alberto Salzar who ran himself into the ground was coaching all distance runners in Nike team who wanted to be in Nike's facilities lived here full time for Nike Distance Project and Nike let Albero run full time no outside interference. Nike was screwed when Alberto Salzar as found to have kept some runners weights so low few men were no longer producing testosterone and most women no longer had periods, also a gray area was Alberto was found to have people get a legal inhaler use and go max use each time 1/2 hour before each event even if person is not needing an inhaler. Events from this nearly killed a runner and when doing medical tests Alberto selected his men on be on Nike Distance Project so they could lie on periods to Nike headquarters.

Marry something or another she skipped collage going pro and apparently broke news on issue to press . Marry she sill is sponsored but by different brand a women's only Athena Running and gets free NB shoes for life but can no longer run or even move faster then 25 min per mile/1.66 kilometers and as instrumental in messing up Nike more then she needs to claiming all Nike sponsored athletes and Collages cheat as do leagues using all Nike because she had a mental breakdown she will keep suing Nike once a year where her case is dismissed right away until Nike goes bankrupt, sales declining due to performance issues and or QC she claims is her doing on why Nikes sales are tanking all becuse she had a Mental breakdown and according to physiatrist doctors will never be fixed until Nike is gone as a brand or is a women's only company run by women making only women's products.

Now Nike Distance Project place is shut down as a full time facility only allowing access to tech on site with use of proper people involved scheduling in advance like Galen Rupp or others outside of USA are doing.
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I love posts like this. If I can barely follow along I generally find rumint like this more credible
 
Rosstour said:
I love posts like this. If I can barely follow along I generally find rumint like this more credible
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Sorry Aspergers and I used to do more running as my active hobby. I did see an interview on YouTube where WSJ did an interview on Mary (I forget her last name as it changed getting married so as different for interview) She as interviewed and made her claims a year or 2 years after Nike Distance Project incident happened.
 
gino said:
2025 feels like a pivotal one for nike tennis. two years + from Alcaraz first major. Can they capitalize on his likeness? Will they give him the Fed/Rafa, slow burn treatment (gradually building up the gear/branding over the years) or pull an Osaka and blast the market with 10-15 pieces per season drop? Will be very interesting to see how they proceed there, especially given how marketable Alcaraz seems to be. Additionally, they need to get Sinner's logo cleaned up and on some gear. Also great a clear deviation between their styles. In the French open semi they wore the same outfit in different colors, gotta be better than that Nike...................
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Will they give us the Air Tech Challenge III?

That's the only thing that I care about for 2025.

They can make all of the terrible fitting clothes that they want.

Just reissue those Agassi kicks.
 
CHillTennis said:
Will they give us the Air Tech Challenge III?

That's the only thing that I care about for 2025.

They can make all of the terrible fitting clothes that they want.

Just reissue those Agassi kicks.
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well, my post was more about the future of their budding/blossoming young stars. also, fit of their clothes is fine. footwear tech is the real problem

in regards to reissues, i think with the exception of this year's vapor 9.5 reissue/the patina ATC, there wont be much of that in the future. they don't care about appeasing their already loyal base, evident by the inconsistency/low volume of the reissues. i hope to be proven wrong
 
gino said:
well, my post was more about the future of their budding/blossoming young stars. also, fit of their clothes is fine. footwear tech is the real problem

in regards to reissues, i think with the exception of this year's vapor 9.5 reissue/the patina ATC, there wont be much of that in the future. they don't care about appeasing their already loyal base, evident by the inconsistency/low volume of the reissues. i hope to be proven wrong
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No. We'll be seeing the ATC shoes released next year. That much I know.

I'm just hoping that they'll give us the damn 3s.

It's the only item that I'm missing from Agassi's 1990 US Open kit.
 
CHillTennis said:
No. We'll be seeing the ATC shoes released next year. That much I know.

I'm just hoping that they'll give us the damn 3s.

It's the only item that I'm missing from Agassi's 1990 US Open kit.
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ATC II (lava color) will be released soon, in the next few months; some more color of the same is expected in 2025...
It is currently unknown whether there will be a re-release of other Agassi shoes
 
SDN said:
ATC II (lava color) will be released soon, in the next few months; some more color of the same is expected in 2025...
It is currently unknown whether there will be a re-release of other Agassi shoes
Click to expand...
CHillTennis said:
No. We'll be seeing the ATC shoes released next year. That much I know.

I'm just hoping that they'll give us the damn 3s.

It's the only item that I'm missing from Agassi's 1990 US Open kit.
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Ah sorry, I didn't see that it's you Chill :)...Then atc II will be released next year and not in a few months??
 
Nike has lost their way! I love the RF shirts with the welded seams. I also loved the vapor 9 and 9.5 shoes. I am sad that Nike has done such a poor job in recent times that I am now considering other brands for my tennis shoes and apparel. That would have never happened in the past.
 
SinneGOAT said:
Title. Since 2019 I have seen a shocking decline in the quality of Nike’s designs and effort in tennis products. They haven’t updated the cage 4 in nearly 5 years, which the design and function of it has been entirely surpassed. The vapor has basically lost its entire identity and there isn’t a high quality speed shoe to replace it. they have made no effort to update their cushioning technologies to stand up against adidas and ASICS and others. The apparel they’ve been making has also declined incredibly since 2019, the last good outfit they made was USO 2020, and since then it’s been terrible all around. They haven’t made a memorable outfit with an interesting design that had more than 3 minutes of thought put into them. To my memory they haven’t even PUT OUT a pattern on their shirts since 2020. In fact USO 2021 and 2022 are the EXACT SAME OUTFITS.

I simply cannot believe that Nike cares in any way about putting any effort and quality and thought into their products, where it’s all terrible designs and mind numbingly basic colorways. They care so little that on their recent ad for the vapor 11 with Alcaraz, he’s just wearing the old vapor pro right there! Nike has given up on tennis and making new and exciting products for mediocrity and easy money. Tennis obviously isn’t Nike’s biggest money maker, but they’ve completely given up on their products.
Click to expand...

Time to move on? There are a lot of other better tennis brands than Nike. I used to love the Cage 3's (and clothes too), tried the Asics Gel Resolution 8 and theyre a MUCH BETTER, HIGHER QUALITY shoe. Clothes, I started buying Tecnifibre clothes a while back, and their stuff is really prime, shorts, shirts, higher quality than anything Nike (shorts are maybe the best Ive ever bought, practically Lacoste shorts).

I bought some Diadora Speed Finale shoes last year and theyre even more cushiony than Asics, also a prime tennis shoe brand.

Just get over Nike, and go to more traditional tennis brands, they manufacture great stuff.
 
pabletion said:
Time to move on? There are a lot of other better tennis brands than Nike. I used to love the Cage 3's (and clothes too), tried the Asics Gel Resolution 8 and theyre a MUCH BETTER, HIGHER QUALITY shoe. Clothes, I started buying Tecnifibre clothes a while back, and their stuff is really prime, shorts, shirts, higher quality than anything Nike (shorts are maybe the best Ive ever bought, practically Lacoste shorts).

I bought some Diadora Speed Finale shoes last year and theyre even more cushiony than Asics, also a prime tennis shoe brand.

Just get over Nike, and go to more traditional tennis brands, they manufacture great stuff.
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In running I moved from most ASICS during the era even brands better trail shoes not super cheap causal with a hard midsole or a single overly plush model of ASICS trail running shoe did not have toe bumper and was pure mesh not even a mesh style toe bumper, so I was only buying a racing flat that had toe bumper in final model online when I found new as most brands were stopping racing flats. I also, from ASICS recently got a model of shoe in a trainer that was at racing flat levels because for a few years until recently in last 2--3 years very few brands made a racing shoe in a true racing flat style and ones who did were brands with a Wide toe box like Altura or Toppo in no drop/almost no drop from heel to toe box or was a single model from a brand Socony Kinvara Lights where no rubber was on bottom of the shoe, now these new road racing shoes in a flat style are called a short distance shoe unlike in past as a road racing model and has more rubber on the bottom becuse the shoes are made using new foams, however model I want to try Nike Skreakfly is always sold out in a 7.5--8 USA from Nike who is stopping model because Nike is skimping down to a core of most expensive models few can afford as well as retro crappy models nobody wants.
 
pabletion said:
Time to move on? There are a lot of other better tennis brands than Nike. I used to love the Cage 3's (and clothes too), tried the Asics Gel Resolution 8 and theyre a MUCH BETTER, HIGHER QUALITY shoe. Clothes, I started buying Tecnifibre clothes a while back, and their stuff is really prime, shorts, shirts, higher quality than anything Nike (shorts are maybe the best Ive ever bought, practically Lacoste shorts).

I bought some Diadora Speed Finale shoes last year and theyre even more cushiony than Asics, also a prime tennis shoe brand.

Just get over Nike, and go to more traditional tennis brands, they manufacture great stuff.
Click to expand...

Casey 1988 said:
In running I moved from most ASICS during the era even brands better trail shoes not super cheap causal with a hard midsole or a single overly plush model of ASICS trail running shoe did not have toe bumper and was pure mesh not even a mesh style toe bumper, so I was only buying a racing flat that had toe bumper in final model online when I found new as most brands were stopping racing flats. I also, from ASICS recently got a model of shoe in a trainer that was at racing flat levels because for a few years until recently in last 2--3 years very few brands made a racing shoe in a true racing flat style and ones who did were brands with a Wide toe box like Altura or Toppo in no drop/almost no drop from heel to toe box or was a single model from a brand Socony Kinvara Lights where no rubber was on bottom of the shoe, now these new road racing shoes in a flat style are called a short distance shoe unlike in past as a road racing model and has more rubber on the bottom becuse the shoes are made using new foams, however model I want to try Nike Skreakfly is always sold out in a 7.5--8 USA from Nike who is stopping model because Nike is skimping down to a core of most expensive models few can afford as well as retro crappy models nobody wants.
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Let’s be honest. The reason that most of us continue to complain, but also buy Nike gear is that we have some specific reason to support them. For me, it’s superstition. I’ve won every competitive match in my life wearing Nike shoes. That dynamic continues to play out in my own life and is the reason that I will never switch away from Nike gear. Even if that means having to buy the older Nike products with better technology on the resale market. I’ve just been reluctant to switch to anything else. Now that being the case, there may be a point of return, but we’ve already seen Nike concede that the older shoes still have a place in their catalog. As in the past two seasons, they’ve re-released the vapor 9.5 and the vapor pro one.
 
pabletion said:
Time to move on? There are a lot of other better tennis brands than Nike. I used to love the Cage 3's (and clothes too), tried the Asics Gel Resolution 8 and theyre a MUCH BETTER, HIGHER QUALITY shoe. Clothes, I started buying Tecnifibre clothes a while back, and their stuff is really prime, shorts, shirts, higher quality than anything Nike (shorts are maybe the best Ive ever bought, practically Lacoste shorts).

I bought some Diadora Speed Finale shoes last year and theyre even more cushiony than Asics, also a prime tennis shoe brand.

Just get over Nike, and go to more traditional tennis brands, they manufacture great stuff.
Click to expand...
I just know that Tecnifibre has its own apparel line. Considering it is under the same corporate umbrella as Lacoste, is it just the take down line of Lacoste?
 
arthurli22 said:
I just know that Tecnifibre has its own apparel line. Considering it is under the same corporate umbrella as Lacoste, is it just the take down line of Lacoste?
Click to expand...

Shorts are basically Lacoste shorts w a Tecnifibre logo, they're fantastic.

Their shirts are pretty darn good, maybe not as polished as Lacoste, but since they go thru the same quality controls Lacoste, they're above par. Designs aren't bad either.

I've a couple of coats too and find them really great
 
gplracer said:
Nike has lost their way! I love the RF shirts with the welded seams. I also loved the vapor 9 and 9.5 shoes. I am sad that Nike has done such a poor job in recent times that I am now considering other brands for my tennis shoes and apparel. That would have never happened in the past.
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Which RF shirts have the welded seams?
 
I just saw the spring 2025 Nike collection and it's actually WORSE than what Nike has been giving us the last four years (which has been awful.)

Yes, I agree. Nike Tennis is dead.
 
gino said:
Bruh. The vapor 12 is gonna be the sickest performance shoe they’ve done since 2018. This sentiment is so misguided and veiled in bias for ATC gear, let’s be honest
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I don't like the vapors. Never have. Never will. The Courballistecs were great. So were the Cage 2s. But the vapors are poorly made. (n)

And the proof is that they don't last.
 
CHillTennis said:
I don't like the vapors. Never have. Never will. The Courballistecs were great. So were the Cage 2s. But the vapors are poorly made. (n)

And the proof is that they don't last.
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Vapors were never made to be durable. They’re a lightweight hyper performance shoe. If that doesn’t appeal to you that’s cool, but anyone who wants a lightweight performing option (considerable portion of the market) is stoked. Just because something isn’t durable, doesn’t mean it isn’t great. The phrase “fun while it lasted” exists for a reason
 
gino said:
Vapors were never made to be durable. They’re a lightweight hyper performance shoe. If that doesn’t appeal to you that’s cool, but anyone who wants a lightweight performing option (considerable portion of the market) is stoked. Just because something isn’t durable, doesn’t mean it isn’t great. The phrase “fun while it lasted” exists for a reason
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I guess so...

But if you're having to replace a pair of shoes every two months, because the outsole or the upper gets blown out, then I'd say that something is seriously wrong with the design of the shoes.

I also own two pairs of the Nike Vapor Cage 4s and they are indeed one of the worst shoes that I've ever owned from Nike. I blame that on the vapor element.

I can't think of one good thing about the vapor besides the fact that Federer wore them. And Nike gave him his shoes.

I can get 12 months out of a pair of the cages, but the vapors probably wouldn't last more than 3 months.
 
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