Nike Air Zoom Vapor 3 Shoe Review

Nike continues the development of its performance Vapor shoe line with this third edition, the Air Zoom Vapor 3. Like the original Air Zoom Vapor S2, the Air Zoom Vapor 3 brings a low profile, sleek style to the courts. Like the second generation Air Zoom Vapor Speed, this version is also designed to be more stable and durable than the original S2.

There's no doubt in our minds that the style of the Air Zoom Vapor 3 makes for the most modern looking Vapor yet, which we found impressive since both previous versions looked very cutting edge. But we had to know, could the on court performance live up to the futuristic style? To find out, we hit the courts for a three-week playtest.

Comfort

The Air Zoom Vapor 3s are built on Nike's contour fit last and are designed to provide a slim, glove-like fit. Lightweight synthetic uppers are vented in the forefoot and are designed to offer out of the box comfort. Nike's Zoom Air combines with a full-length Phylon midsole for a low profile cushioning system.

Call us a bunch of softies, but for the most part our team found the ride in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s to be too firm, and the majority of our testers wanted more cushioning - especially in the forefoot.

Finding the best level of comfort in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s was Arun. "I found these shoes extremely comfortable as soon as I put them on. They contoured to my feet and offered a very glove-like fit. There was absolutely no discomfort anywhere in these shoes." Danny K found improved comfort after break-in. "The shoes felt a little tight at first, although the material looked flexible and didn't look like it would need any break-in. Even though they were a little tight at first, I had no rubbing or pinching and the shoes felt comfortable after break-in. After the second or third time of playing, the shoes felt comfortable to play in but the toe box was still tight. The insole and Zoom Air were very comfortable throughout the rest of the shoe."

Finding good flex from the uppers, but left looking for cushioning, was Chris. "The Air Zoom Vapor 3s took a couple of wears before I really had them broken-in and ready for competitive play. I found the uppers to offer some nice flex and comfort the more I wore them. I did have a few comfort issues with the shoe throughout the test. I really would have liked more forefoot cushioning. The Vapor 3s felt too firm in the forefoot. On the plus side, there was lots of court feel, but I would have preferred a more cushioned ride. I also had a few instances where my little toes got pinched between the edge of the insole and the upper. It seemed like the insoles needed to wrap up higher inside the shoes, as my little toes would get pinched in the gap between the uppers and the edge of the insoles when making aggressive lateral cuts. This problem never went away and prevented me from comfortably playing all out in the shoes."

Granville would have also liked a more cushioned ride. "The Air Zoom Vapor 3s did not offer much in the way of cushioning. The forefoot had seemingly almost no cushioning, and the heel just a bit. The plus side was that players who like to be low to the ground will like these shoes. Personally, a bit of cushioning AND being low to the ground is ideal. The synthetic upper was supple and flexed nicely, although it did not stretch at all. Inside the shoes it felt as if there was no stretching or giving to speak of from the uppers. However, the last seemed fairly well suited to my feet." Paul found a snug glove-like fit in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "Initially, the right shoe poked my big toe on top at the edge of my toe nail, but that quickly went away. These shoes definitely provided a snug, glove like fit. They fit my medium wide feet just right after break-in and felt true to size in length. The low-to-the-ground design and flexible forefoot allowed for exceptional court feel. The type of cushioning utilized in these shoes was not conducive to an 8 hour work shift and then a couple hours on the court. However, they were a solid choice for a supportive 2 hour hitting session, or 2-3 sets of grinding match play."

Arch Support

Much like a Roger Federer forehand, our team found the arch support in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s to be right on the money. The perfectly placed arch also came with plenty of support through the midfoot region of the shoes. Paul found the support to match his expectations of Nike shoes. "These shoes were much the same as all of the other Nike shoes I've tried as far as the arch support was concerned. I have medium-wide feet and a medium arch and these shoes fit perfectly. I've come to rely on this consistent level (height) of support from Nike, and it is something I thoroughly enjoy in Nike shoes." Chris also found the level of arch support a good match for his feet. "I had no issues with the arch support. I found a comfortable and supportive fit. I have a medium height arch and the arch support was a solid fit. Lateral support also felt impressive in the midfoot and the shoe flexed well on toe-off, protecting my arches during quick sprints forward."

Also finding a good fit for his medium height arches was Danny K. "These shoes suited my medium arches well. My feet felt very supported in the arch areas and I never felt too high or too low in the shoes. The arch support "cupped" my feet, which gave me some added support." Granville said, "The support was in the right position in the shoe to match my foot arch. Not really a factor for this tester."

While all of our testers were impressed with the level of arch support, Arun found the best fit of all. "This is the first perfect score I have given in this category. Most tennis shoes, including some other Nikes, require some break-in period for me in order to get the arches to adjust to my feet. These shoes were perfect for my medium arches from the beginning. My midfoot felt very supported as the arches matched up perfectly."

Foot Support and Stability

The Air Zoom Vapor 3s feature an external TPU heel cage, a Momentum Control System in the midfoot and are double lasted in the forefoot. We found these combined technologies to offer more confidence inspiring support than a one on one session with Dr. Phil.

Finding impressive all around stability was Granville. "The shoes were very stable. The construction is very solid and is enhanced by the lack of stretch in the upper material. I like the rounding of the outsoles. They seemed trimmed and contoured for performance. The last fits my feet fairly well. With the shoes cinched and tied, I felt very confident in stability - perhaps this Vapor's best feature. Following one particular serve my right foot came down on the outside edge of the outsole. Rather than rolling left of right, I simply skidded six inches on the contoured edge of the outsole. It could have been a disaster resulting in a rolled ankle, but as it turned out, I did not even lose my balance on the follow through." Arun was moving with confidence in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "These shoes felt glove-like and felt like an extension of my feet. The support was generally good all around. I felt no discomfort or wariness of rolling my ankle while playing in these shoes."

Danny K found both support and stability from the Air Zoom Vapor 3s' fit and performance technologies. "The material looks to be flexible, but the shoes remained pretty solid when making cuts at an angle, or sprinting to a ball. The TPU heelpiece added extra protection for ankle support and kept my heel locked down in the back of the shoe. There wasn't a lot of protection in the forefoot of the shoe, but the tight fit kept my foot from moving around up front." Paul was very pleased with the support offered by the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "The support and stability of these shoes was exceptional. My feet felt like they were locked into position on lateral movements, and at no time did I feel in danger of rolling an ankle. My feet did not slide around inside the shoes at all, and I felt like I could rely on the stability these shoes provided." Chris was also impressed with the way the shoes held his feet. "I found a good level of stability - especially from the heel and midfoot regions of the shoes. In the forefoot, the uppers held my feet well on lateral cuts. The level of support and stability remained impressive from my first wear till my last."

Overall Sole Durability

The Air Zoom Vapor 3s feature Nike's DRC2 rubber compound for the outsole - the same material which impressed us in our Air Max Breathe 3 review. With the Air Zoom Vapor 3s, the DRC2 rubber compound impressed us again. Finding an even wear pattern and good durability to the Air Zoom Vapor 3s' was Granville. "Nike seems to have improved their durability. I'm finding my Nikes to be lasting as long as some shoes known for durability, where that did not used to be the case. Wear over the entire outsole was even and well distributed." Arun found the Air Zoom Vapor 3s to be "pretty durable overall," adding, "The shoes showed minimal wear at the ball of the foot region where I wear most shoes out. There are more durable shoes on the market than these, however the Air Zoom Vapor 3s are very durable considering their relatively light weight."

Paul found the level of durability comparable to other performance shoes he's worn. "The overall sole durability of the shoes was about middle of the pack compared to other shoes I've worn. There's no durability guarantee to please the grinders, but this limitation is offset by the other performance features of the Air Zoom Vapor 3s." Chris said, "I was impressed with the durability of the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. The outsoles held up surprising well, even in the usual trouble spots. I tend to be very hard on outsoles in the forefoot region under my big toes. Even there, the Air Zoom Vapor 3s exhibited impressive durability." Like the rest of our team, Danny K was impressed with the durability of the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "The soles on my shoes showed the most wear on the inside toe of my left foot and outside heel of my right foot. There was not a lot of wear, and the shoes have a very durable outsole."

Toe Durability

There are times when less is more and there are times when less is just less. For instance, we've never found a light beer that truly offers all the taste yet is less filling, but in the Air Zoom Vapor 3s we found impressive toe durability without the need for a bulky toe bumper. Nike's Drag-On material wraps up around the toe tip and along the medial edge of the toe box to protect the uppers from toe dragging on both forward and lateral moves. The whole design is light and sleek looking. Unless you're up close, it looks like the shoes have no toe bumper at all. Finding an impressive level of toe protection was Chris. "The toe bumper on the Air Zoom Vapor 3s did a great job of protecting the uppers from premature wear. Most impressively, the toe guards offered plenty of protection without being bulky or detracting from the overall look and feel of the shoe. At the end of the test, both shoes had plenty of scuffmarks but were in great structural shape. Danny K also found the Air Zoom Vapor 3s to be up to the task of handling his compulsive toe dragging. "The toe guard really helped protect the entire front of the shoes. There are many shoes that just have a material instead of a rubber toe guard, and I found this rubber Drag-On material more durable. The Drag-on provides that extra protection for players like myself who can't learn to stop dragging their toes!"

Traction

The Air Zoom Vapor 3s offer the kind of grip we've come to expect from Nike performance tennis shoes - impressive traction with just enough give so the shoes don't get hung up on the court surface. Finding some solid traction on his favorite surface was Arun. "The level of traction was good. I felt no slippage when making sharp cuts, and the shoes seemed very well suited to hard court play." Finding some impressive stick from the Air Zoom Vapor 3s was Granville. "I enjoyed good traction with these Vapors. They hold my feet well and I was able to stop, start, and even slide when needed. There are only a few other shoes which I would call "stickier" than the Vapor."

Chris found the high level of traction to last the entire test. "I was impressed by the level of grip offered by the shoes. I could plant very aggressively on lateral moves and the shoes grabbed the surface very well. The level of traction remained consistent throughout the test - always providing confidence inspiring grip, even when the tread started to wear slightly."

Paul would have liked a little more traction from the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "I wasn't that impressed with the traction of these shoes. While in the middle of a match, I was at the baseline scrambling and had to run down a wide angle shot. I sprinted and hit the ball on the run. I hit it high and deep to give myself time to get back into the middle of the court, but when I planted to catch myself, my plant foot slipped out from under me. I didn't go down to the ground, but slid enough to take me out of the point. Although these shoes feature the same DRC2 material as the Air Max Breathe 3s, the herringbone design didn't seem to grip the court as effectively."

Finding impressive traction on multiple surfaces was Danny K. "I didn't experience any slipping, or sliding while on the court, and the level of traction was solid. I used the shoes on hard, clay and grass courts. Both the hard and clay court traction was impressive. The least impressive traction occurred the one time I played on grass, but I didn't expect the shoes to perform at the level I found on the other surfaces since they are not grass court specific shoes."

Weight

At 15.9 ounces for a size 10.5 Air Zoom Vapor 3, this third version of the Vapor is similar in weight to the previous Air Zoom Vapor Speed. Our team was impressed by the weight and performance of the shoes, none more so than Arun. "Their weight was perfect. For me, lighter is always better and this shoe offers a good balance of weight to durability to cushioning." Finding the Air Zoom Vapor 3s to feel light on his feet was Danny K. "These felt like very lightweight shoes. I did not feel like I was ÒluggingÓ around the shoes while I was playing. It was very easy to forget about them when playing or wearing them casually for a short time period."

Chris was impressed by the weight to performance ratio of the Air Zoom Vapor 3s. "These shoes did not feel as super light or fast as the original Vapor S2, but they still felt well weighted. Considering the level of stability, grip and durability, the weight was very impressive. I thought they played lighter than most shoes offering a similar performance." Also enjoying the weight of the shoes was Paul. "I really liked the weight of these shoes. Not too heavy or too light, but just right. At 15.9 ounces per shoe, they weigh in slightly heavier than the Air Max Breathe Free IIs and 3s, but much lighter than my Adidas Barricade 4s. At this weight, these shoes felt very maneuverable. They weren't bulky or clunky at all, just pure streamlined efficiency."

Finding the shoes well balanced was Granville. "These Vapors are "performance weight," not too heavy to hinder performance and not too light to compromise stability. These shoes provide a nice balance of weight and performance."

Overall

Nike Vapor 3 Summary Sheet
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Stability Durability Traction Low to the ground feel Snug, contoured fit	Minimal forefoot cushioning Lack of ventilation Tight Fit in toe box for wide feet	Comfort 3.6 Arch Support 4.3 Foot Support/Stability 4.1 Overall Sole Durability 4.2 Toe Durability 4.5 Traction 4.1 Weight 4.2 Overall 3.9 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot Types: Arun - Medium width/Medium Arch Paul - Medium width/Medium arch, Chris - narrow width/medium arch, Danny K - medium/medium arch, Granville - Narrow/low arch

Review date: April, 2006. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2006 Tennis Warehouse.