Official Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Thread

Chopin said:
Posters act as though everyone has one foot type! The Vapor X is not even close to the 9.5 in terms of comfort for me; it felt way too tight. The Vapor Pro is also not as good as the 9.5 as my heel doesn't lock in.
Click to expand...

Our feet must be similar! 9.5 is my goat. I like the X but it’s very tight and took getting used for me. Hate the short laces too. I have the same heel lock issue with the Vapor Pro. I wear thicker socks and use it for clay; unusable for me on hard courts.
 
Interesting… Federer, who said that improvements mean he no longer needs to wear in a shoe but can “pull a fresh pair of the Vapor Xs out of the box and play five sets, no problem,” has been running through a new pair every three or four matches.
He did however prefer to keep the 9.5 outsole. ‍♂️
 
Benf15harp3000 said:
Does anyone know why Nike chose to release the 9.5 as opposed to the 9 or X?
Click to expand...

The 9/9.5 were exceptionally well received, and people loved them. The X was fine, and when it was released, it was the closest thing to the 9/9.5.

But it was the 9/9.5 that well well received enough to have 4 year product cycle. I don't think many other apparel products, which tends to be extremely trendy and "needs to get with the time" have that long of a product cycle.
 
Benf15harp3000 said:
Interesting… Federer, who said that improvements mean he no longer needs to wear in a shoe but can “pull a fresh pair of the Vapor Xs out of the box and play five sets, no problem,” has been running through a new pair every three or four matches.
He did however prefer to keep the 9.5 outsole. ‍♂
Click to expand...
Fed used an old Vapor outsole…the Vapor Speed, I believe. With custom widths for sure and upper similar to retail models from Vapor 9 onward. His rubber compounds may have been different, and the retail durability components like toe bumper/mudguard were not always present or the same material.

Doesn’t mean the vapor 9.5 (that this thread is about…) wasn’t an awesome shoe at the time - excited to eventually compare to the vapor pro and other speed shoes on the market - but the 9, 9.5, and X retail models were not what fed used on foot. Do you have a source for where he said this? I’m curious what context it was pulled from.
 
colan5934 said:
Fed used an old Vapor outsole…the Vapor Speed, I believe. With custom widths for sure and upper similar to retail models from Vapor 9 onward. His rubber compounds may have been different, and the retail durability components like toe bumper/mudguard were not always present or the same material.

Doesn’t mean the vapor 9.5 (that this thread is about…) wasn’t an awesome shoe at the time - excited to eventually compare to the vapor pro and other speed shoes on the market - but the 9, 9.5, and X retail models were not what fed used on foot. Do you have a source for where he said this? I’m curious what context it was pulled from.
Click to expand...
My point is the X minus whatever outsole/shank(preference) and still worn on tour was the closest shoe retail would ever get to feds actual shoe …. Not the 9/9.5
 
Bought two pairs of the new 9.5s. I've never purchased shoes at retail but these were and still are the best tennis shoes I've ever worn so I pulled the trigger ($170 x 2 OUCH). I started tennis with the vapor 6, then 7, 8, 9 and 9.5 but stopped wearing Nike after that as the X didnt feel as nice as the 9.5s. I've been trying alot of other brands since (Diadora, Mizuno, Babolat etc) and never found anything quite like it. I was sad I never stocked up on them but happy now they've rereleased it.

I love the comfort and light feel of the 9.5s, alot of shoemakers now try to cut down weight by making thin tongues, the 9.5s thick tongue makes it so comfortable and I never feel the laces. I feel just as fast in them as I did in 2014. I know it's not the most durable so I only use them for competition.

For those looking for alternatives, if you can find it, get the Le Coq LCS-T01 (mostly available in EU), I've compared it next to a Vapor 9.5 and worn them on each foot, it's honestly as if Le Coq copied the Vapor because it looks and feels 90% the same (minus the Vapor fingers/adaptive fit) and I bought it at half the price of the new Vapor. I can't get anymore of the Le Coq now but if I could I would get that instead of paying for the Vapor. The shape is so similar, the materials are similar, the design is similar, the fit is similar

Review:

I wonder if it's just a one time rerelease or will they have other colorways?
 
GN-001 said:
Bought two pairs of the new 9.5s. I've never purchased shoes at retail but these were and still are the best tennis shoes I've ever worn so I pulled the trigger ($170 x 2 OUCH). I started tennis with the vapor 6, then 7, 8, 9 and 9.5 but stopped wearing Nike after that as the X didnt feel as nice as the 9.5s. I've been trying alot of other brands since (Diadora, Mizuno, Babolat etc) and never found anything quite like it. I was sad I never stocked up on them but happy now they've rereleased it.

I love the comfort and light feel of the 9.5s, alot of shoemakers now try to cut down weight by making thin tongues, the 9.5s thick tongue makes it so comfortable and I never feel the laces. I feel just as fast in them as I did in 2014. I know it's not the most durable so I only use them for competition.

For those looking for alternatives, if you can find it, get the Le Coq LCS-T01 (mostly available in EU), I've compared it next to a Vapor 9.5 and worn them on each foot, it's honestly as if Le Coq copied the Vapor because it looks and feels 90% the same (minus the Vapor fingers/adaptive fit) and I bought it at half the price of the new Vapor. I can't get anymore of the Le Coq now but if I could I would get that instead of paying for the Vapor. The shape is so similar, the materials are similar, the design is similar, the fit is similar

Review:

I wonder if it's just a one time rerelease or will they have other colorways?
Click to expand...
There will be more colorways…an all white heritage for sure. After that iDK
 
Bought the shoes for the sake of having 9.5s back in my shoe rotation.
Will let you know how they are in 9 months after my ACL surgery. :-D
 
Benf15harp3000 said:
My point is the X minus whatever outsole/shank(preference) and still worn on tour was the closest shoe retail would ever get to feds actual shoe …. Not the 9/9.5
Click to expand...
His 9/9.5/9.5 knit uppers were the same base construction as retail too. And the underfoot construction was the same as when he had the X uppers. Vapor 6 upper he used until the 9, I believe, same midsole/outsole tooling. So I don’t know what point this makes. The vapor line is a great shoe at retail regardless of Fed’s endorsement. Not everybody’s cup of tea but nothing is.
 
Last edited:
rs.php
 
Chopin said:
My sense is the 9.5 was better-received than the X. I certainly preferred them.
Click to expand...
Annoyingly though, the 9.5 was a cheap and nasty iteration of the 9. There was nothing better functionally about it but a fair bit was worse. They just changed so they could make the shoes much cheaper and charge the same price based on the ability to have prints/patterns over more of the shoe. Compared to the 9 they were plastic-y, flimsy rubbish.
 
Bobby Jr said:
Annoyingly though, the 9.5 was a cheap and nasty iteration of the 9. There was nothing better functionally about it but a fair bit was worse. They just changed so they could make the shoes much cheaper and charge the same price based on the ability to have prints/patterns over more of the shoe. Compared to the 9 they were plastic-y, flimsy rubbish.
Click to expand...
This!
 
Bobby Jr said:
Annoyingly though, the 9.5 was a cheap and nasty iteration of the 9. There was nothing better functionally about it but a fair bit was worse. They just changed so they could make the shoes much cheaper and charge the same price based on the ability to have prints/patterns over more of the shoe. Compared to the 9 they were plastic-y, flimsy rubbish.
Click to expand...

I've played in both, and I never noticed any performance difference between the two. I don't doubt that it's easier to print on the on the 9.5s, but the idea that they are "flimsy rubbish" is ridiculous.
 
From a product photography perspective, I can see that all the seams (gaps) and lines to this Vapor 9.5 look a bit sloppy when you compare it to their other shoes, ie. pegasus running shoes or their latest line of tennis shoes.
 
For those of you capitalists and free marketers: why is the Vapor 9.5 the most expensive tennis shoe Nike is selling even though it's an old model (the research and design costs are surely less for it than the newer 11s)? Does inflation justify the "very fair" price of $170?
 
Chopin said:
For those of you capitalists and free marketers: why is the Vapor 9.5 the most expensive tennis shoe Nike is selling even though it's an old model (the research and design costs are surely less for it than the newer 11s)? Does inflation justify the "very fair" price of $170?
Click to expand...
VP1 is a better shoe for a far better price.

This is just Nike ripping off its nostalgic consumers for an overrated product. The inflation argument is ridiculous.
 
mpournaras said:
I guess for me personally.... I would hope that manufacturing efficiencies and getting Fed off the marketing budget would bring it down a bit (a la Vapor Pro with an MSRP of 120 instead of 130)
Click to expand...

That's understandable and from an efficiencies standpoint, yeah, there may have been a way to reduce the cost of production. However, Nike could have easily:
1) Not bring this back
2) Bring this back for higher adjusted 2023 price

So the fact that we're getting this shoe back for what is equivalent of its original MSRP back in 2014 is already a win for me.

As for the Vapor "Pro" line, doesn't that just highlight how cheap that shoe is, and why no one really got on board?
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
Exactly... so why are people complaining about the price?
Click to expand...
Likely because salaries have not appreciated at the same rate as inflation of goods has, so people are stuck making the decision between $170 for Vapors that die in 10 hours of play or $150 for a more durable shoe that dies in 3-4 months and using the extra $20 on other stuff that has gotten a lot more expensive like eggs, meat, and bread.

edit: I don't mean for this to sound argumentative, so I apologize if it comes across that way. This is a very real grievance for us consumers though.
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
That's understandable and from an efficiencies standpoint, yeah, there may have been a way to reduce the cost of production. However, Nike could have easily:
1) Not bring this back
2) Bring this back for higher adjusted 2023 price

So the fact that we're getting this shoe back for what is equivalent of its original MSRP back in 2014 is already a win for me.

As for the Vapor "Pro" line, doesn't that just highlight how cheap that shoe is, and why no one really got on board?
Click to expand...
You mean the vp1 that rune Fritz and Alcaraz and the vp2 that rublev and KK are wearing?
Why aren’t they wearing the 9.5s since they are so great and now readily available?
 
Rally said:
Likely because salaries have not appreciated at the same rate as inflation of goods has, so people are stuck making the decision between $170 for Vapors that die in 10 hours of play or $150 for a more durable shoe that dies in 3-4 months and using the extra $20 on other stuff that has gotten a lot more expensive like eggs, meat, and bread.

edit: I don't mean for this to sound argumentative, so I apologize if it comes across that way. This is a very real grievance for us consumers though.
Click to expand...
Don’t forget the outrageous price of tennis balls. Ffs
 
Rally said:
Likely because salaries have not appreciated at the same rate as inflation of goods has, so people are stuck making the decision between $170 for Vapors that die in 10 hours of play or $150 for a more durable shoe that dies in 3-4 months and using the extra $20 on other stuff that has gotten a lot more expensive like eggs, meat, and bread.

edit: I don't mean for this to sound argumentative, so I apologize if it comes across that way. This is a very real grievance for us consumers though.
Click to expand...

Nothing plays like the 9.5 though, look at the amount of players still using them.

Nike may have rebooted it for the consumer just so they could continue supplying the Mannarinos of the world.
 
Rosstour said:
Nothing plays like the 9.5 though, look at the amount of players still using them.

Nike may have rebooted it for the consumer just so they could continue supplying the Mannarinos of the world.
Click to expand...
Cmon there are many shoes that are better. I know this is nostalgia factor but cmon.
 
fox said:
Cmon there are many shoes that are better. I know this is nostalgia factor but cmon.
Click to expand...

I've moved on but many pros haven't

I realized I liked the feel of Vapors better, but played better in Cages, so I buy really heavy/cushioned shoes now
 
They shouldn't be priced at $170; it's an insult to Nike's tennis customers. They're a great shoe, and I like them far more than the Vapor Pros, but moves like this make me want to leave Nike Tennis behind.

Nike should continue making the Vapor 9.5 indefinitely in white and black and price it at $120.
 
Chopin said:
They shouldn't be priced at $170; it's an insult to Nike's tennis customers. They're a great shoe, and I like them far more than the Vapor Pros, but moves like this make me want to leave Nike Tennis behind.

Nike should continue making the Vapor 9.5 indefinitely in white and black and price it at $120.
Click to expand...

An insult would be not bringing them back at all after so many of us asked.
 
Played with my new ones for the first time tonight. Was so great to be back in a new pair. Had everything I love about the Vapor X without being too tight and have laces that aren’t incredibly short. I love everything but the color, so I’m hoping that they have decent color ways coming out. Honestly, I’m just wearing Vapor 9.5 and the Roger Pro now. Other shoes just don’t compare for my feet. Vapor Pro just doesn’t lock my heel down and I get heel/ankle pain soon after using them.
 
ATX Tennis said:
Played with my new ones for the first time tonight. Was so great to be back in a new pair. Had everything I love about the Vapor X without being too tight and have laces that aren’t incredibly short. I love everything but the color, so I’m hoping that they have decent color ways coming out. Honestly, I’m just wearing Vapor 9.5 and the Roger Pro now. Other shoes just don’t compare for my feet. Vapor Pro just doesn’t lock my heel down and I get heel/ankle pain soon after using them.
Click to expand...
I was just going to ask for some comparisons between the 9.5 and the X. Any other thoughts on this?
 
Rally said:
Likely because salaries have not appreciated at the same rate as inflation of goods has, so people are stuck making the decision between $170 for Vapors that die in 10 hours of play or $150 for a more durable shoe that dies in 3-4 months and using the extra $20 on other stuff that has gotten a lot more expensive like eggs, meat, and bread.

edit: I don't mean for this to sound argumentative, so I apologize if it comes across that way. This is a very real grievance for us consumers though.
Click to expand...
That's a fair point. And it's a matter of priorities. People buy new sporting outfits to go with the seasonal trends, and maybe their playing style allows for more longevity in their shoes. But for me, I haven't bought a new sporting outfit in years. But if there's a consumable footwear that I like, especially if my all time favorite comes back. I'm going to be stocking up and I'll skip tennis clothes for another 5 years to make up for that.
 
Benf15harp3000 said:
You mean the vp1 that rune Fritz and Alcaraz and the vp2 that rublev and KK are wearing?
Why aren’t they wearing the 9.5s since they are so great and now readily available?
Click to expand...
Because the shoe was before their time? What 20 year old would chase an old design when they weren't exposed to it at the height of the initial release? You wear what you're accustomed to.

Go look for any of the Pros that wore 9/9.5 when they were available, and check and see if they're still wearing them now. I'll wait.
 
PrinceYonex said:
I was just going to ask for some comparisons between the 9.5 and the X. Any other thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
9.5 feels lighter, but I’m not sure if it is…tight fit of the X might be causing that. The X also has that slightly inward tilt that may account for why the fit is a little “clunkier.” I’ve heard the tilt is to help prevent rolling ankles, but it does bother me a bit. Laces on X are really short, so I always think I need to re-tie them at some point. For whatever reason, the laces hold but mentally, I’m always expecting the shoes to loosen up. X fits tighter which is uncomfortable to put on, but they feel good while playing. The 9.5 is a little less tight, but feel like a slipper to play in…just tight in all the right places and feel light on the feet.
 
ATX Tennis said:
9.5 feels lighter, but I’m not sure if it is…tight fit of the X might be causing that. The X also has that slightly inward tilt that may account for why the fit is a little “clunkier.” I’ve heard the tilt is to help prevent rolling ankles, but it does bother me a bit. Laces on X are really short, so I always think I need to re-tie them at some point. For whatever reason, the laces hold but mentally, I’m always expecting the shoes to loosen up. X fits tighter which is uncomfortable to put on, but they feel good while playing. The 9.5 is a little less tight, but feel like a slipper to play in…just tight in all the right places and feel light on the feet.
Click to expand...

The factory laces on the X were ANNOYING short.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

CANTGETENOUGHTENNIS!
Nike Vapor 9.5 Tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Replies
32
Views
14K
BLX_Andy
BLX_Andy
Devil_dog
So I got a pair of Nike Air Zoom Prestige
Replies
16
Views
4K
smboogie
smboogie
T
Vapor 9.5 vs Zoom zero vs Vapor X
Replies
6
Views
2K
zaskar1
Z
G
Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour Clay Men's Shoe Release Question
Replies
4
Views
2K
TW Staff
TW Staff
innoVAShaun
NikeCourt Zoom Hypersmash
2 3 4
Replies
158
Views
19K
arthurli22
A
Back
Top