Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Knit Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.3

The knit upper of the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Knit changed the fit and added some break-in time. As a fan of the regular Vapor X shoes, Michelle was curious what the knit version had to offer. She said, "One of my colleagues in Europe got to test the Vapor X Knits and claimed them as his favorite new shoes. Plus, I love the colors Nike has been picking for these Vapor X Knits. The first time I put these shoes on, I noticed they were more snug than the standard Vapor X, but lengthwise they were just fine. I prefer a tighter, more supportive feel, so I stayed in my true size. The shoes differ a bit from the original Vapor X with their bootie construction and fit my feet well. I felt pretty comfortable from the first wear on the court and instantly was happy with the fit, cushioning and support. These shoes weren't the most breathable because the knit is pretty tight for support. For the most part, my high arches were well supported too. These shoes offer supportive cushioning; they aren't ultra plush, in my opinion, but more responsive, which I prefer. Right away, these shoes felt like a higher performing version of the Vapor X — who knew that was possible?"

"I found a comfortable ride in the Vapor X Knits, but unlike the regular Vapor Xs, these required a bit of a break-in," continued Chris. "The knit upper offered a firmer feel, and the added durability pieces around the toe and medial sides of the shoes gave them a stiffer, clunkier feel. Still, once the shoes were broken in, all was good with the world, and I was moving around the court comfortably. I did find them to run a tad hot, which didn't bother me on court but made me want to take the shoes off as soon as I was done hitting. The fit through my arches was great, and my feet felt comfortable and supported. I also found these shoes to fit slightly narrower than the regular Vapor Xs, which was better for my skinny feet."

Jason is one of our playtesters with wider feet. He said, "The fit was slightly narrower than the Vapor X, especially through the midfoot area. Because of that, I was getting pressure on my arches, which resulted in soreness. It took around 10 hours for the shoes to break in for me, which was longer than the Vapor 9.5 Knit. The cushioning was solid, and like the standard Vapor X, it provided a more responsive ride rather than a plush and pillow-like one."

Brittany had some ups and downs with the overall comfort of the Vapor X Knit. She explained, "When I slipped them on I noticed the snug, glove-like fit, which my narrow feet definitely appreciated. The knit upper was flexible, so for the most part, I didn't have any hot spots. There is some extra material on the medial side for durability. At times this aggravated my big toe joint, but this came and went over the course of the playtest. For the most part, these shoes felt fairly comfortable in all other respects (underfoot, around the ankle and tongue). I found there was a lower arch, but it gave me all the support I needed. However, there was what I call an 'outer arch' on the lateral side of the shoes. This wasn't painful or uncomfortable at all, but just something I would notice when playing that could be annoying at times."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.4

Receiving its highest marks of the playtest, the Vapor X Knit excelled in both support and stability. This is where Brittany thinks these shoes improved upon the standard model. She said, "With the knit material on the uppers, my feet felt more locked in and secure in the Vapor X Knits. The bootie construction hugged my feet nicely, and I didn't have any extra movement within the shoes. Because of past ankle injuries, I look for shoes that offer above-average ankle support. The Vapor X Knits wrapped tightly around my ankles and hit at the right height. My ankles were fully supported even on the most aggressive movements."

Jason was equally impressed with the performance of the Vapor X Knit. He said, "These are fantastically stable shoes. The knit upper provides solid protection against foot movement when stopping and changing directions. When I cinch my laces down I can feel the Dynamic Fit system wrap around my feet, locking them in for excellent support."

"This was the highlight of the playtest for me," added Michelle. "The upper was ultra supportive, and I felt locked in with the bootie construction. I do have to mention that I think these shoes would have felt too snug if my feet were the tiniest bit wider. Stability-wise, I had no problems either. I was never worried about slipping out or twisting around. I found the performance to be very high in terms of support and stability. I had three other shoes to wear while playtesting these Vapor X Knits, but I only wanted to wear these on the court because they performed so well in terms of support and stability."

Chris agreed with the other playtesters. He said, "I found the Vapor X Knits to be very supportive. The shoes had a stiffer feel under my feet, so they felt more stable too. I was happy to see that the knit uppers continued to support my feet during the test and held up well. I was able to get a much more locked-in feel in these shoes compared to the regular Vapor Xs, and I was able to play in just one pair of socks instead of my usual two and still get a supportive and comfortable fit."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.1

With strategically placed rubber on the outsole, the Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Knit shoes exceeded our team's expectations for durability. Jason put the most hours on his shoes. He said, "I've put close to 20 hours on these shoes, and they show minimal wear and tear. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the outsole held up considering I'd been sliding in these shoes more often than with most others."

"I thought the durability held up decently well when I looked at the outsoles after 10-plus hours of playtesting," continued Brittany. "These aren't in the lightest weight category, so I would expect them to hold up decently well. I have plenty of hours left on them and don't see any premature smoothing or balding. I think players who drag their toes could have some durability issues. The toe bumper is on the lower side, and the material covering the knit is pretty thin for a couple of centimeters before it starts to bulk up. I had some minor wear there, but I could see someone really doing some damage."

Confirming Brittany's suspicions, Chris noticed the toe protection on his shoes had begun to deteriorate. He described, "The outsoles held up well in these Vapor X Knits and exhibited similar durability to the regular Vapor Xs. The uppers proved to be more durable. The clear upper durability pieces around the toes wore down throughout the test, but there was still some protection left at the end. Interestingly, the material wore down into a powder from court abrasion but thankfully wiped right off with a damp cloth. I adored the cosmetics of the shoes, and it pained me every time I noticed more wear to the uppers."

Although she's not a toe dragger, Michelle had a similar experience. She said, "These Vapor Knits have extra durability built on top of the toe guard for the most aggressive movers. It not only adds longevity but looks pretty cool aesthetically as well. What threw me off, though, was that I wore through the plastic at the tip of the shoes. I am not normally too hard on that area, and I don't really drag my toes on my serve or anything. I saw some wear there and some smoothing on the outsole under my big toe. I would say the durability is on par with the Vapor X. For me, that's just fine since I'm not too hard on my shoes. The outsoles have at least another few weeks of solid wear for me after wearing them a bunch for a full month."

Traction - Score: 3.9

With a unique design, the Vapor X Knit's outsole offers a little more give than grip. Having previously playtested the standard Vapor X, Brittany already had experience with the tread pattern. She explained, "I was able to transition to the knit version seamlessly, and I didn't have the issues I did originally. I could really use the outsole to my advantage and save a couple of milliseconds here and there. I got the give and grip where I needed and didn't really have to think about the traction while I was playing."

"With the initial version of the Vapor X I was unsure about the outsole tread pattern, and even slipped a time or two while I was playtesting them," Michelle added. "These Vapor Knits look to have the identical tread pattern, yet I never once slid out or slipped. For whatever reason, I would have to say the traction was better than the standard Vapor X. During the playtest of the standard Vapor X I got caught feeling like I was on ice at times, but I was super happy that I didn't have that problem at all with the knit version. Instead, I was confident when moving in these shoes."

Jason has been working to incorporate sliding into his game, and the Vapor X Knits were a perfect tool. He said, "Like with the standard Vapor X, these shoes had a slightly slicker outsole, which I enjoyed because it allowed me to slide and change directions much easier than with other shoes that offer a stickier outsole. At the same time, there was enough traction and grip that I didn't have any slippage problems when making my initial steps."

Similar to Jason, Chris found the benefits of sliding in these shoes. He said, "Just as I found in the regular Vapor Xs, these Vapor X Knits offered plenty of give on quick stops. They proved to be one of the easier pairs of shoes to slide in when coming to a quick stop. I only had a couple of instances when I felt I was sliding out of shots too much to recover quickly. For the most part, I found enough grip to get the job done and enough give to take the strain off my aging joints."

Weight - Score: 3.9

Weighing in at 14.3 ounces in a men's size 10.5 and 12.4 ounces in a women's size 8.5, the Nike Vapor X Knits sit just outside the lightweight category. Michelle found some positives in the added weight, saying, "This shoe is definitely a bit heavier than the non-knit version, but once on, it was not noticeable. Plus, with the added stability and support, I consider it worth it, and I still felt fast in the shoes. I definitely would not say these Vapor X Knits are heavy; they may not be the lightest shoes, but they still feel quick and fit seamlessly. After wearing them on the court it wasn't a big deal to leave them on for the rest of the day. In all honesty, the only time I noticed them feeling a bit heavy or bulky was when I went for a warm-up run in them before a hit, and I felt a bit slow and weighed down compared to my Nike running shoes or even the lighter New Balance 896v3 shoes that we just tested."

"These Vapor X Knits feel more substantial and weighty compared to the regular Vapor X," Jason agreed. "The weight didn't really bother me, though, because I thought the shoe transitioned well from heel to toe once broken in."

While the Vapor X Knit had a heftier feel than the standard model, Chris still felt light on his toes. He said, "The Vapor X Knits felt heavier and clunkier to move in compared to the regular Vapor Xs. Even after the shoes had broken in and softened up some, the ride was noticeably stiffer in the Vapor X Knits. The result was a heavier, slower feeling Vapor X. However, I'd still call these decently fast shoes, and I felt like I moved pretty well in them."

Wrapping up the playtest, Brittany found herself in a similar boat. She said, "I didn't feel these shoes were as light as the Vapor Xs. The first reason was they actually do physically weigh more. The second was that I didn't feel like the shoes flexed underfoot as well as I would have liked. This translated to feeling like they were slapping on the ground when I was moving around. As the playtest wore on and the shoes broke in they started to flex better and feel like they were extensions of my feet."

Overall - Score: 4.4