Nike Vapor 9.5 Tour PRM Tennis Shoes Review

Finding a great tennis shoe is incredibly difficult. It is important for it to give you great lateral support, comfort, and stability. Some are better for players with wide feet, others work better for people that have high arches, and there are always the ones that try to do everything. Well, the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour is the greatest tennis shoe of all time. Why, do you ask? Well it was designed for the most decorated player of all time, Roger Federer.

Therefore, I will start this review by cutting the shoe in half and later do a durability test using a match. Just kidding. I am not a professional shoe reviewer. However, in this article, we will be looking into this shoe’s amazing design and why I think it is the best shoe on the market.

History of the Vapor

Now, before I get into reviewing this shoe, I want to tell you a little bit about the history of Nike shoes. Why do you care about what I say? Well, I happen to be a huge Nike fan. Some of my favorite players of today’s game wear Nike shoes and apparel; hence, I mostly wear Nike shoes.

However, players from older decades have also used Nike shoes. It all started back in the day with the McEnroe Air Trainer. Then, there was the Agassi Challenge Tech Twos. Of course, one of the most popular Nike shoes of all time was the Air Oscillate that Pete Sampras wore.

When Roger Federer came on the scene, Nike designed him a Vapor shoe. But, to be honest with you, it was absolutely horrible. Lots of people bought those shoes, but apparently they had hard plastics on the sides, and they were extremely uncomfortable.

About 10 years ago, something happened that changed the game. One of the greatest shoe designers ever, Tinker Hatfield, who designed a lot of the Jordan shoes, was hired by Nike to design a tennis shoe for Roger Federer. Hatfield and Federer sat together in a room, and Roger started telling Hatfield what he wanted out of a tennis shoe.

Tennis shoes generally are uncomfortable because you have to have a lot of stability due to the hard stops you make when you play tennis, especially when chasing for balls in the corner. So, generally speaking, tennis shoes tend to be a little bit stiff and uncomfortable. 

They are not shoes you would wear outside of playing tennis. Interestingly, Federer, and many other players, prefer to wear running shoes when they're off the court.

Federer told Hatfield that he wanted his tennis shoe to feel like a running shoe. As Federer described what he wanted, Hatfield was drawing on his iPad, and the result was this masterpiece. In other words, the greatest tennis shoe that has ever been designed.

Broken In Running Shoes

Well, first of all, it does feel like a running shoe. It's extremely light, and it's unbelievably comfortable due to the way the shoe is designed and the materials used. The mesh design in the front contributes to its overall light feeling, and it has an awesome lacing system.

One remarkable feature is that it doesn't require any break-in period. You can take out a brand new pair of Zoom Vapor 9.0 or 9.5 in the middle of a match and wear them right away. They will feel as if you've been playing with them for a long time. As someone who has tried a few different tennis shoes, I can confidently say that these are by far my favorites because of their extreme comfort and the fact that they don't give me blisters.

Interestingly, despite being light and very comfortable, the shoe also provides excellent lateral support. When you make those hard lateral stops on the court, the materials on the side of the shoe are sturdy enough to provide the important stability you need. This is great for long baseline rallies in matches.

Roger’s Pick

One interesting thing about Federer’s Zoom Vapor is that the middle part of the shoe was made out of carbon fiber. This design feature not only provided additional stability for Roger Federer, but also added to the overall performance of the shoe.

In fact, these shoes hold such significance that they were sold on a memorabilia website for a whopping twenty-five hundred dollars. It's fascinating to see how the incorporation of carbon fiber in the middle of the shoe can boost the price of these ridiculously. I’m sure Roger didn’t complain, for it contributed to his enhanced stability on the court. Perhaps his feather-like footwork is all thanks to the shoes.

Tongue Twister

Unfortunately, there is one little issue with the Zoom Vapor. This is the fact that the tongue scrunches up at the bottom when you tie the shoe tightly. Hence, it can be a bit bothersome, especially if you prefer a snug fit. Another minor drawback is that the top of the shoe allows you to see your sock through it. The tongue, in particular, isn't wide enough to fully cover the top of the shoe.

In comparison, when reading about the Zoom Vapor Jordans recently, I found that the tongue on those shoes is wider and made of stronger materials. It is simply far superior to the tongue on the Zoom Vapor 9.5.

Magical Soles

I absolutely love the sole of the Zoom Vapor 9.5 because of its super simple design. I prefer the sole to be uncomplicated, and this shoe delivers on that front. It provides excellent traction when you're playing on hardcourt. I assume it would also be great on clay.

Additionally, the shoe is well-cushioned despite having a lower profile than other shoes. As someone who has experienced knee pain, I appreciate the ample cushioning that allows me to move around the court without experiencing excessive discomfort.

Drip

Personally, style is definitely an important factor when it comes to tennis shoes. I wouldn't be caught on the court wearing a pair of ugly tennis shoes. Fortunately, the Zoom Vapor series, from the 9 through the 10, were some of the best-looking shoes ever designed.

Whenever a new Zoom Vapor model was released, there were typically at least four or five different color choices to select from. This allowed players to express their personal style and preferences, while still enjoying the exceptional performance of the shoes.

Off The Market

What happened? Why did Nike get rid of the Zoom Vapor 9 through 10? They introduced the Zoom Vapor Pro, which many people found to be a disappointment compared to the previous models.

In the Zoom Vapor Pro, all the intricate details on the top of the shoe were removed. There was no more mesh, just a plastic piece covering the entire shoe. The laces were positioned off to the side, and the tongue became paper-thin. Overall, the shoe felt significantly worse compared to the previous models.

While the sole of the Zoom Vapor Pro remained the same as the Zoom Vapor X, everything else about the shoe changed. Many people felt that Nike had taken a step back and had not met the expectations set by the previous Zoom Vapor models.

However, it's worth noting that there may be an upgraded version or a future release that addresses some of these issues. Nike often iterates on their designs based on feedback and market demand. So, it's possible that a new and improved version of the Zoom Vapor series may be introduced in the near future.

Final Thoughts

I can tell you that Nike is doing some great things as of today. They brought back the Air Trainer Ones from the McEnroe era, and they also now brought back the Zoom Vapor 9.5. Currently, you can buy this shoe in all of your favorite online tennis retailers. To add, I want to clarify that this article is not sponsored by Nike. I’m not even sure if they usually sponsor reviews.

However, I am extremely certain this shoe is one of the most iconic shoes of all time and is my personal tennis shoe of choice. Go ahead and get yourself a pair today!