Nike Vapor 12 review

We believe that you should give the Nike Vapor 12 a try if:

• you want Nike's top-class speed-oriented tennis shoe
• you were disappointed in the cumbersome Vapor 11 and wanted a shoe that feels more like the Vapor 9, 9.5, or X
• you prefer non-sticky traction for easier sliding, gliding, and pivoting
• you have medium-to-narrow feet and need a snug-fitting shoe

The Vapor 12 has a very high asking price, but more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better for everyone.

At a slightly lower price point, you can get a super springy and responsive Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1, which packs two large Air Zoom units instead of one.

You might also consider the Vapor 12's takedown model, the Nike Vapor Pro 3, which showed similar lab test results to its premium counterpart. In fact, it offers a roomier toebox fit and a tackier outsole grip.

Even though Nike repositioned the Air Zoom unit from the forefoot (Vapor 11) to the heel (Vapor 12), our lab test showed no changes in shock absorption whatsoever!

Both iterations returned 98 SA in the heel and 61 SA in the forefoot, which is right about the average of all tennis shoes we've tested. On hard court, this translates into a mix of decent impact protection and pronounced court feel.

The change in the Air Zoom placement had a clear effect on the Vapor 12's energy return as it became significantly more responsive in the rearfoot. In fact, our machine recorded an impressive increase of 11.3%, making it 54.8% in the heel!

But on the flip side, the shoe's forefoot bounce went down by 4.7%, resulting in a standard 49.9%.

Overall, the Nike Vapor 12 feels decently dynamic on the hard court, but it doesn't add any noteworthy propulsion or springback.

The shoe's stack height hasn't changed much from the previous iteration. Our caliper recorded a regular measurement of 29.5 mm in the heel. Perfectly average for a tennis shoe.

The shoe's forefoot stack also showed a moderate caliper reading of 19.6 mm. It is on par with the average, offering a decent buffer for the ball of the foot and the toe joints.

The shoe's heel-to-toe drop also falls into the average range at 9.9 mm. This moderate offset puts the foot in a slightly forward-leaning position while keeping the heel sufficiently cushioned.

Nike doesn't specify the type of foam used for the Vapor 12, but our Shore A durometer measured its firmness at a standard 29.8 HA.

It's a firm compound that ensures stability and control for swift movements on the court.

If you've tried the Vapor 11, you will find the same snug fit in the Vapor 12 as well. It felt very ergonomic and one-to-one on our medium-width feet, and our gel test measurements confirmed it.

The widest part of the shoe's interiors (the ball of the foot area) returned a borderline narrow reading of 89.9 mm. This can feel too snug for players with wide feet and/or bunions.

A slight taper angle narrows the shoe's toebox further to 68.2 mm in the big toe area. It's not aggressively pointy but can feel restrictive for people with broader foot dimensions.

Checking the shoe's vertical space in the toe area, we don't see any risks of pressure points. Even with the presence of a large toe drag guard on top of the toebox.

Our caliper recorded the shoe's toebox height at 26.9 mm.

According to Nike, the Vapor 12 features a new type of outsole rubber, so we expected different traction results as well.

Brushing the shoe's forefoot against concrete at a consistent angle and force, we recorded a pretty low friction coefficient of 0.55. It is, in fact, one of the lowest in our lab and is also lower than the Vapor 11's 0.74.

However, this doesn't mean that the shoe puts the player in danger of slippage. We found that it bites the court rather well, but it's just not as sticky as some of the other hard court options. The Vapor 12 caters to athletes who love a good give for pivoting, sliding, and smooth gliding on the court.

Nike shaved off a huge chunk of the outsole rubber to keep the Vapor 12's weight down while still ensuring outsole grip and durability in the areas where they are most needed.

It also swapped the previous version's caterpillar-style traction pattern for a herringbone one.

Measuring the amount of force it takes to bend the Nike Vapor 12 to a 30-degree angle, our machine recorded a standard reading of 16.2N.

This hits a sweet spot between stability and maneuverable footwork for fast-paced matches.

The product specs didn't lie when they promised the Vapor 12 to be lighter than the 11. But how much lighter? Our scale shows that the difference is as small as 0.4 oz...

At 13.8 oz (390g) in a man's US size 9, the Nike Vapor 12 is still far from the light and speedy Vapors of the past. It is also an ounce heavier than the category average and is notably heavier than the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 4.1 (12.3 oz) and the ASICS Solution Speed FF 3 (10.9 oz).

But on the bright side, the changes made to the shoe's overall build and the absence of burly rubber overlays made the 12th iteration notably more agile and aerodynamic. It feels like a one-piece extension of the foot as opposed to its bottom-heavy and clunky predecessor.

Unfortunately, the shoe's thick and padded upper held it back from being a more breathable Vapor iteration.

Even though some smoke managed to seep through the shoe's toebox in between the protective overlays, it wasn't enough to rate the shoe's breathability any higher than 2 out of 5.

Hovering the shoe's halg-cut upper over the LED light didn't reveal any transparent areas or ventilation channels either.

And a closer look at the fabric through our microscope also confirmed that Nike mixed thicker threads and tighter weaves into the Vapor 12's upper material.

Nike went back to the roots of the Vapor series and reintroduced a stiff TPU shank in the midfoot of the Vapor 12 as a lighter yet sturdier alternative to the rubber overlays.

The shank is complemented by tall and firm frames on both sides of the shoe. They cradle the foot and add a lot of side-to-side stability for aggressive cuts.

The brand also brought back the lacing setup of the legendary Vapors (9, 9.5, X), contributing to an even more secure foot lockdown that works together with the stable platform.

We were amazed to discover that the reworked stability components of the Vapor 12 made it even sturdier than the Vapor 11!

Attempting to twist the shoe in our manual test, we faced its unyielding nature and raised the torsional rigidity score to the maximum 5 out of 5. Even though it is not a pure stability shoe like the Adidas Barricade or the ASICS Resolution, this Nike Vapor kept us amazingly surefooted during forceful lateral movements.

The heel counter also proved to be stiffer and more generously padded in the Vapor 12, creating a highly secure grip around the heel and ankle. It went one point up the stiffness scale, earning 4 out of 5 in our manual test.

Despite the drastic design changes to its platform, the Vapor 12's midsole dimensions haven't deviated much from the previous version or from the category average.

The widest part of its forefoot returned 108.5 mm on our caliper, forming a solid outrigger for a broader landing and push-off area.

The shoe's heel also proved to be sufficiently wide at 88.7 mm between its widest points. Broad enough to plant the foot confidently, but not too clunky to lose agility either.

As Nike's most expensive hard-court tennis shoe, the Vapor 12 keeps up its reputation in the durability department.

Its rubber toe bumper and toe drag guard cover a pretty large area on the inner and upper sides of the forefoot.

Testing its limits in our Dremel test, we were pleased with the result and gave the shoe a high toe guard durability score of 4 out of 5.

The same tough rubber reinforcement covers the top of the shoe's toebox, protecting the mesh fabric. It will take a lot of use and abuse to get through that protective layer, so 4 out of 5 for toebox durability it is.

The shoe's inner lining also proved its worth by strongly resisting the sandpaper. If you tend to wear holes in the collar of your tennis shoes, you will be happy with the durability of this Vapor's in-shoe material. 

The new rubber blend on the Nike Vapor 12 also proved its heavy-duty nature in our Dremel test. Measuring the dent left by the tool, we got a solid reading of 0.6 mm. Great result for a hard court shoe!

Outsole durability looks even more promising with the shoe's generous outsole thickness of 5.0 mm. It may not be a full-length outsole, but it's got plenty of tough rubber where it's most needed.

The shoe's insole has a standard thickness of 4.4 mm, so it doesn't add a ton of padding underfoot.

You can swap the stock insole for your own orthotic if needed because it is easily removable.

If you need to cinch the laces down tightly or use the extra pair of eyelets for a more secure lockdown, lace bites shouldn't be a problem thanks to the shoe's well-padded tongue. Our caliper measured its thickness at an above-average 9.2 mm.

A semi-gusseted tongue stays in place while contributing to a more secure foothold. It works together with the shoe's full midfoot fit band, which is regulated by the laces.

As Nike's flagship tennis shoe, the Vapor 12 is one of the most expensive hard court shoes in our roster. Its MSRP is on par with the ASICS Court FF 3, and performance is comparable as well.

There is no heel tab on the Vapor 12, but we found the on-and-off to be quick and easy.