The Nike Vapor 9, 9.5, and the Vapor X were some of the most popular tennis shoes we’ve ever seen.

They had an iconically stylish silhouette with incredible step-in comfort and a raw, grounded feel that players loved. Unfortunately, Nike took the line in a drastically different direction four years ago with the introduction of the Vapor NXT. The NXT marked the end of the Vapors as we knew them and the beginning of a more concept-oriented and techy shoe that sounded good in theory but felt bizarre once you put it on.

It looked almost futuristic with a neoprene tongue, a textile upper, and a hefty inwards canting that Nike marketed well but felt too extreme once it was actually on foot. The design flopped so hard that even professional players (paid to use Nike shoes) opted for the takedown Vapor Pro. It’s never a good look when athletes turn away from supposed “innovation” and prefer the feel of a cheaper shoe, but it quickly became obvious that the Vapor Pro was the better option.

The original Vapor Pro looked much more like a Vapor than the flagship NXT. It had the same outsole as the previous Vapor X but with that more modern, textile upper. Because it shared the same platform as the Vapor X, the fit was nearly identical — and that fit was such a crucial part of that legendary Vapor’s performance. That made the original Vapor Pro the spiritual successor to the Vapor X, and it became a fan favourite among professionals and amateurs. But then Nike had the brilliant idea to, once again, drastically change it for the next generation.

The Vapor Pro 2 was nothing like the original Vapor Pro. It didn’t look the same, it didn’t feel the same, and it didn’t have as much of that “Vapor” identity — but it wasn’t a bad shoe, especially when compared to the new top-end Vapor, the Vapor 11.

If the NXT was a bit too quirky for the masses but at least technologically impressive, the Vapor 11 was simply not good enough. As the new flagship Vapor, many were hoping Nike would take the line back to its roots, but instead, they created one of the weirdest combinations of stiff, supportive, flexible, and comfortable.

The Vapor 11’s upper was made from an ultra-thin and flexible mesh material that provided very little lateral support in exchange for good step-in comfort. The issue was that it was slapped onto a super stiff outsole (one of the stiffest I’ve ever felt), and the clash between stiff and soft made for a very weird feeling on lateral cuts. The outsole would stay rock solid, but then the upper would roll over and offer no support — so, once again, players defaulted to the takedown Vapor Pro 2. The Pro 2 was certainly better than the 11 but still not a true Vapor, and that’s when I started asking myself the question: “Is the Vapor gone?”

For a while, I was worried. I thought the NXT’s lack of success would make Nike instantly go back, but when the Vapor 11 came out, I thought we had definitively lost a legend. Then, out of nowhere, Nike dropped the Vapor 12, and it took one look at the shoe to know: the Vapor is back!

I’m not kidding when I say it takes one look at the Vapor 12 to know that it’s a classic Vapor.

The 9, 9.5, and the X were all unique, but they also all shared the iconic silhouette that any Vapor fan recognizes from a mile away. The Vapor 12 has that same silhouette, which is extremely important because it plays such a big role in how this shoe fits.

Fit and Comfort

Before I go on, I quickly want to define a term I’ll use throughout this article: “older Vapors.” From now on, “older Vapors” refers to the iconic Vapors 9, 9.5, and X that were all built on the same last. While the original Vapor Pro differed from those three, it also shared the same last, so I’ll include it in the list. A lot of players consider that shoe the last “real Vapor,” so I’m going to be comparing the Vapor 12 to the original Vapor Pro more than to the NXT and the 11, which are essentially incomparable.

The number one reason why anyone who liked older Vapors should be excited about the Vapor 12 is because it is built on the exact same last. That last is the key ingredient in providing that classic Vapor fit — but what exactly is a classic Vapor fit?

The Nike Vapor 12 is extremely comfortable, but it’s also snug. There’s not a ton of room around the upper for your foot to move around, so it’s a close fit, but it’s comfortable because it’s so ergonomic. This shoe is cut to be wide exactly where a lot of people need it — around the fifth metatarsal and the ball of your big toe — but then it gets narrower in the midfoot and heel area, with quite a high cut back there as well. The toe box is pointy, but it only gets narrower past the forefoot, and that pointy design gives you a quick and nimble sensation that I’ll talk more about later.

I need to emphasize that this shoe is made to fit as close to the foot as possible, but that fit is also precise and seamless thanks to the way the upper is constructed.

The Vapor 12 has a very soft upper that melts onto your foot, so you feel it holding you in — but it’s more like a comfortable hug rather than a high-pressure squeeze. Because it’s so soft, it also adapts very well to little inconsistencies in foot shape. I have quite a wide protrusion around my fifth metatarsal, but because the upper is so flexible, it comfortably adapts — whereas on some other shoes, I would feel uncomfortable pressure. I also want to point out that there’s more rubber on this Vapor than on any of the Vapors 9, 9.5, and X, but it’s cut in a way where it has zero effect on the upper’s flexibility.

Fit and comfort are areas where I think the Vapor 12 has improved compared to the original Vapor Pro. Again, that shoe had the same last as older Vapors, but it had a stiff rubber piece around that lateral forefoot, which wasn’t an issue if you had narrow to medium-width feet, but it gave me some uncomfortable pressure, and because of that, I had to go up a half size.

They’ve removed that rubber piece on the Vapor 12, so this is back to that buttery soft comfort we had on the X. This is important because it means I can stay true to size, which is crucial to the overall fit of this shoe. While I didn’t mind going up half a size on the Pro, the Vapor is meant to fit as close to the foot as possible. It’s a performance fit, and any dead space makes the shoe less responsive — so going up a half size may give you more width where you need it, but you’ll also have too much space everywhere else.

The bottom line with the fit and the comfort of the new Vapor 12 is that it feels like a Vapor — which was the most important characteristic Nike needed to get right — and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Lockdown, Support and Stability

It’s very important to understand that the Vapor 12 isn’t the type of shoe that gets its support and stability from a solid rubber upper or a super beefy outsole. This is the type of shoe that feels supportive because it basically becomes an extension of your foot. This is another reason why getting the right size is so important because that precise fit is key to the shoe reacting instantaneously to your input.

Beyond a snug fit, the Vapor 12 also has some of the best lockdown you can find right now. That lockdown comes from a combination of the higher cut heel as well as the lacing system, which is one of the best you’ll find.

I am a huge fan of good lacing systems, so bear with me if I get a little nerdy — but a good lacing system is crucial to a shoe’s lockdown performance, and it was a big part of why older Vapors were so well-loved.

What have they done to create such an effective lacing system? They’ve designed it in a way so that the laces grab onto big chunks of upper, and they’ve added little ribbons that go all the way down into the midfoot so that you have a huge range of personalization when you tie them down. You don’t have to go too tight, but you can — and the tighter you go, the more responsive the shoe becomes. A good lacing system is really the catalyst for good lockdown, and I’m so glad they got it right on this shoe because it had been seriously lacking over the last couple of generations. The Vapor 12 also has a poofy tongue, which means you don’t need to worry about lace bite if you do tie the laces tight.

I also want to clarify that support, independent of lockdown, is good. This is still a tennis shoe — but this isn’t an Asics Gel-Resolution or a Court FF that’s going to stay rock solid for any type of lateral movement. The Vapor 12 has a flexible upper, which means it will give when you push it hard enough, but if you focus on precise footwork, you won’t feel that support is lacking.

Stability is also good — the platform you’re standing on is pretty wide, especially in the forefoot — although, again, not as wide as true stability shoes. It’s also a shoe that sits quite low to the ground, and there’s a stiff shank going through the midsole, which adds to that grounded feel. Nike has also added a rubber support element spanning from the rear to the middle part of the midsole on the lateral side, which boosts stability without overriding that quick and nimble feel you want from a Vapor.

Cushioning and Movement

The real beauty of the Vapor is in its movement around the court. Once you’ve nailed the fit and locked yourself in with the laces, you have one of the most precise and nimble shoes out there. There’s always going to be some placebo with these, having watched Roger Federer waltz his way around a tennis court with Vapors for most of his career, but these shoes do feel like they push you to use proper footwork. It’s a tough sensation to describe, but the best way I can put it is that they make good movement easier. You feel the ground with the low, stiff outsole, you’re quick on your toes with the sleek pointed toe box, and the shoe is glued to your foot, so everything feels a bit more efficient.

There isn’t a ton of cushioning on the Vapor 12. With the low stack and the stiff shank, these are quite raw shoes — but there is a Zoom unit in the forefoot to soften up impact. You definitely feel it, but it also doesn’t override that responsive push-off that you want. Comparing these to another pair of raw, stiff court shoes, the On Roger Pro 2s, these are noticeably more cushioned in the forefoot, but they still feel just as responsive.

The Vapor 12s are most at home when you’re moving with anticipation — either when you’re in control of the point or when you’re able to execute proper footwork. They don’t perform as well for more random, reactive movement — like when you’re scrambling around the baseline or sprinting up to the net to pick up a drop shot. Coming in at 388 grams in a size 10 US, they’re certainly not light and actually significantly heavier than the original Vapor Pro, which came in at 318 grams. They also have quite a flat outsole, which doesn’t complement the running motion nearly as well as something like the Asics Solution Speed FF3.

Durability

Durability isn’t the Vapor’s strong suit, and that remains true on the Vapor 12. The way Nike achieves this snug yet comfortable fit is by making the whole upper fairly soft, which means it’s going to lose its structure relatively quickly. I personally don’t mind the feel of a worn-out Vapor, but once that structure is gone, the support starts to go as well — so you should think about replacing them. This structural wear happens before any of the more obvious signs that it’s time to replace your shoes.

Who are they for?

I couldn’t be happier with the new Nike Vapor 12, and I’m sure many of you feel the exact same way. This shoe is made for those of you, like me, who have been fruitlessly wandering the vast expanse of tennis shoes looking for something to fill the void of older Vapors. If that’s you, don’t think twice about it — this is the shoe for you. It’s the logical evolution of the Vapor X, and while it is unfortunate that we had to wait this long for it, it’s here now.

The legendary Nike Vapor is back — now let’s keep it that way, Nike.