Surprisingly Vapor 12 is a lot heavier than Barricade, and I was expecting the opposite hmm. Vapor 12 448g, Barricade 402g, also new, both without insoles. Insoles weigh 34g Barricade, and 24g Vapor 12. Barricade insoles are nice and quality, Ortholite, rubbery and firm, while Vapor insoles are just spongy and soft, cheap basically
Vapor 12 have a worse fit to my feet (medium, slightly flat), not so nice and tight in the midfoot as the Barricade, or Vapor Pro 1. Always with my custom orthotics, thicker than some retail ones, in the Barricade the fit is just right, tighter medially, orthotic is well supported, as was in Vapor Pro 1
I also prefer the oblique lacing on the Barricades, absolutely loved that on Vapor Pro 1 too, those had a nice tight fit in the midfoot and heel. Barricades have nice firm braided laces, vs the cheap mushy ones on the Vapor 12
On the Vapor 12 there's too much room medially, in the midfoot and heel, I can stick three fingers in there
So I try to really tighten the laces and it all feels a bit mushy, OK at best, while in the Barricades there's no need to tighten anything, it just fits
Soft padded tongue on both, I prefer the thinner neoprene ones, but both V12 and B are fine
Vapor 12 has a bit more space in the forefoot, better than Barricade, I'm always on my toes and I like it when they can spread nicely in low stance play, so that's a clear plus. Vapor Pro 1 had a pointy forefoot, I hated that, so this is great
Both are low to the ground, but Barricade is lower, and overall feels slightly firmer and more stable, despite being a lot lighter
So far my conclusion is that V12 is an identical type of shoe as Barricade, my kind of shoe, speedy stability shoe with a large stiff shank and outer frame, neither are too high nor clunky, both are low to the ground
Overall Vapor 12 feels slightly below Barricade in terms of quality, but for a much higher price. That has also been my overall experience with Nike vs Adidas in the last min 5 years, with all kinds of sportswear. Nice, but slightly worse quality that Adidas, or much worse sometimes, but always 50-80% more expensive. Nike usually compensates for cheaper quality with flashy design, which I often hate as I like unassuming styles, but I don't care too much how my tennis shoes look, I view them only as a tool with a clear function. Both Barricade and Vapor 12 look fairly plain to me anyway, just OK
