Nike Vapor Pro 3 review

The Nike Vapour Pro 3 might be your next best tennis shoe if:

• you are an all-court player who expects the same versatility from their tennis shoe
• you are a slider who needs excellent toe drag durability and some give in the outsole

Nike rained on its own parade by making the Air Zoom unit as tiny as possible in the Vapour Pro 3. So if you came here for a snappy ride, try the Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1 instead. That one has two huge Air Zoom units (one in the forefoot and one in the heel)...for now.

And if you turned to this Nike Vapour shoe in the hope of getting that light and nimble experience that the Vapour line has always been associated with, you might be disappointed. We found the Vapour Pro 3 somewhat bottom-heavy and it's backed up by its above-average scale numbers. Have a look at the ASICS Solution Speed 3 instead.

The overall shape, size, and thickness of the shoe's sole remained practically unchanged in the Vapour Pro 3.

With a calliper reading of 28.6 mm, we found its heel stack to be nearly identical to that of the previous version (Vapour Pro 2). It also happens to be on par with the category average which indicates a good amount of impact protection in the heel.

The forefoot stack also remained practically unchanged showing a standard thickness of 20.0 mm.

However, this part of the shoe has undergone a pretty major change which affected the way it feels under the ball of foot. Unfortunately, the brand decided to cut down on the size of the Air Zoom unit in order to...improve flexibility, as they say?

In our opinion, this resulted in a major stepback in the shoe's overall springiness and energy return which was the primary reason why many players loved the previous Vapour Pro! If you are here for that propulsiveness, the Nike Zoom GP Challenge 1 is a more suitable option now.

The shoe's heel-to-toe offset stays within the standard range of tennis shoes. According to our stack height measurements, it comes in at 8.6 mm which forms a smooth slope from the heel to the toes.

In its product description, Nike claims using the same midsole foam as in the previous Vapour Pro. While the exact type of foam is not specified (looks like Phylon though), its density is vastly different!

Pressing a Shore A durometer against the foam returned a notably higher reading of 28.4 HA. That is 42% firmer than the Vapour Pro 2's cushioning! But if you haven't tried the previous version, you can expect a pretty standard underfoot experience because 28.4 HA is exactly the same as the tennis shoe average.

A well-padded insole adds a touch of comfort on top of the shoe's firm midsole. We measured its thickness at 4.5 mm which is common for most tennis shoes in our roster.

Fit-wise, the Nike Vapour Pro 3 brings no surprises in its one and only D medium width. We experienced that on our own feet but also recreated the shoe's gel replica to back it up with objective measurements.

Using a digital calliper, we measured the shoe's mould in its widest part (right below the toe joints) and got a standard reading of 93.2 mm. This is exactly on par with the category average.

We found no aggressive tapering towards the toes either. Applying our calliper to the big toe area of the mould, we got a regular width of 69.4 mm.

However, the shoe's toebox height turned out to be slightly above-average at 26.9 mm! And that is despite the large rubber toe guard on top of it.

That gives a tad more wiggle room in this tennis shoe without compromising its secure foothold.

Initially frustarted with the Vapour Pro 3's cushioning transformations, we found some positive changes too!

There is a notable step-up in the shoe's lockdown and lateral stability courtesy of the changes in the upper and the lacing system. The integrated eyelets (aka full midfoot band) allow to cinch down a greater area of the midfoot eliminating any foot shifting and sliding during the most aggressive lateral cuts.

The addition of zigzaggy TPU streaks around the eyestay and the ankle also contributed to a more secure in-shoe feel.

The Nike Vapour Pro 3 does not feature any internal shanks or massive sidewalls to provide the necessary lateral support during forceful side-to-side movements.

Yet, we found its overall construction to be sufficiently rigid, preventing foot buckling and ankle rolling. You can see how much the shoe resisted twisting in our torsional rigidity test below.

Assessing its stiffness on a 1-5 scale, we gave it a high score of 4 without hesitation.

The heel counter, on the other hand, proved to be more forgiving and gave in to the pressure we applied on the sides. Because of that, we gave it a moderate stiffness score of 3/5.

However, this didn't seem to compromise the shoe's overall stability thanks to its rigid sole and highly secure midfoot cage.

Flipping the Vapour Pro 3 upside down reveals substantial sole flares both in the forefoot and the heel. However, they may seem because of the shoe's narrower midfoot.

When we measured the widest part of the forefoot with a calliper, it returned a standard width of 111.3 mm. But we have nothing to complain about because the flange delivered the expected on-court stability.

As for the widest area of the heel, it proved to be even wider than average at 94.3 mm. This made us feel confident enough to plant the whole foot on the court when grinding at the baseline.

Now it's time to complain again.

Nike says that the shrunken Air Zoom unit was supposed to provide better forefoot flexibility in the Vapour Pro 3, but it did NOT!

We carefully measured the amount of force it takes to bend each Nike shoe to a 90-degree angle. The tool returned 34.0N for the Vapour Pro 2 and 32.8N for the Vapour Pro 3. That means as little as 4%(!) of added flexibility in the 3rd iteration...It's not even noticeable on foot! Thus, we couldn't help but wonder if that was even the real reason behind the reduced Air Zoom unit.

But if we take the Vapour Pro 3 outside of this context, it is no different from the average tennis shoe! It feels bendy enough to feel comfortable and in control of the footwork, but also snappy enough for those last-second scrambles to the net.

According to Nike, the Vapour Pro 3 features a new rubber compound that is supposed to make it lighter than the previous Vapours. But, unfortunately, this is not what we found in the lab.

Weighing both shoes in the same size (men's US 9), the scale showed nearly identical numbers! At 13.51 oz (383g), the Vapour Pro 3 even turned out to be a few grammes heavier than the v2. Not to mention that it is also heavier than the average.

The shoe's lack of breathability was yet another disappointment we experienced in the Nike Vapour Pro 3. As thin and transparent as its upper fabric appeared, our lab tests revealed its limited ventilation capacity.

Our most indicative smoke-pumping test showed how little airflow actually passes through the shoe's toebox.

Even though we saw sufficient air channels through the microscope, it's the padding underneath the upper fabric that blocks the free flow.

But because this Nike tennis shoe is not hopelessly toasty, we bumped up its breathability score to 2/5.

On a positive note, the Nike Vapour Pro 3 doesn't seem to lack the reinforcement needed for a long and happy tennis shoe life.

Its toe drag guard is just as sturdy as on the Vapour Pro 2, combining both the outsole rubber and the HART (High Abrasion Rubber Tech) to cover a larger toebox area and protect it against the abrasive court slashes.

Using a Dremel and sandpaper, we drilled the HART compound ruthlessly at 10K RPM speed. The damage looked so insignificant that we instantly rated the shoe's toe drag guard durability as 4/5. You can rest assured that the Vapour Pro 3 is ready for some serious sliding on hard court.

Even the shoe's exposed mesh didn't give us any reasons for concern. Drilling it raw at 5K RPM speed, we were impressed with its ability to resist abrasion. Because of that, the shoe's toebox also received a high durability score of 4/5, proving to be stronger than the v2's upper fabric.

As it often happens with tennis shoes, the Vapour Pro 3 cuts corners on the longevity of its inner collar lining. It took mere seconds for the material to get notably damage,d which lowered its heel padding durability score to 3/5.

Nike doesn't specify what kind of new rubber compound it uses for the third Vapour Pro. However, our lab tests and measurements showed that it is hardly different from the previous outsole rubber.

Our Shore C durometer returned a slightly higher reading of 89.4 HC but it is just a bit harder than the older version.

Subjecting both rubbers to the same demanding Dremel test, we didn't find any difference in the damage it left. Both outsoles showed a shallow dent of 0.5 mm.

Either way, this is good news for the shoe's outsole durability!

The difference in outsole thickness also proved to be rather minuscule. At 0.5 mm, it is barely even worth mentioning. Thus, we expect the Vapour Pro 3 to last a good while, much like its predecessor.

The Nike Vapour Pro 3 also inherits the same outsole tread pattern which we loved for its perfect balance of grip and give.

But please note that this type of outsole is not the stickiest in the first place and it gets even smoother with time. That's why sliders are more likely to enjoy this Nike shoe. If you prefer tennis shoes with a hard bite, check our the Nike GP Challenger Pro.

The was no price hike for the Vapour Pro 3 and we beieve it is fair considering that the shoe hasn't introduced any groundbreaking updates. On the contrary, it made the Air Zoom unit smaller!

Other than that, the shoe remains a solid hard court option in the middle price range which performs on par with its competition.

The Vapor Pro 3 packs a good amount of padding where it's needed (collar and tongue) without being excessive. Measuring its tongue thickness with a caliper returned a fairly standard reading of 8.8 mm. No lace bites or instep pressure.

The tongue of the Vapour Pro 3 is gusseted on both sides and extends even higher than it did in the v2. This contributes to the shoe's secure midfoot fit which is where we saw a major improvement in the v3.

There is no pull tab or finger loop to assist with getting the shoe on but it's quite easy to do in the first place.

As a more expensive option from Nike, the Vapour Pro 3 can afford a more ergonomic insole (contoured, with a slight arch on the medial side). But if you need a custom orthotic, you can easily insert one instead.

The shoe has a pretty strong closure system with large integrated eyelets for the most secure lockdown. A dedicated loop in the middle of the tongue also helps to keep the laces in place.

On top of that, you can minimise the chance of heel slippage by using a extra pair of eyelets for a lace lock.