Nike Extends The Tennis Vapor Franchise With Vapor 11 And Vapor Pro 2
Emma Raducanu presented the new Nike Vapor 11 at the Australian Open. (Photo by Cameron… [+] Spencer/Getty Images)
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The word steam is ubiquitous at Nike. Vapor products live in clothes. They live in shoes, from soccer cleats to running shoes. But the Vapor has held a special place in tennis, ever since the launch of the Air Zoom Vapor Speed in 2004. Roger Federer helped make this line the king of the sport. With Federer carrying the line for over a decade, it helped propel it forward throughout the sport. More major tournaments have been won with a Vapor silhouette than any other tennis shoe.
Now that the word vapor crosses multiple lines in Nike tennis, the two most recent Nike tennis launches highlight the silhouette’s history, both in the Nike Air Zoom Vapor 11 and Air Zoom Vapor Pro 2. even if they do not have a multitude of direct links with their predecessors.
The Vapor 11 continues the silhouette that began in 2004, adding an iteration that follows the Vapor 10 (called Vapor X), which originally launched in 2018.
Karen Khachanov wearing the new Nike Vapor Pro 2 at the Australian Open. (Picture by Jason… [+] Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Nike claims the new Vapor 11 is more connected to the pitch than before and remains focused on speed components. “The Vapor 11’s design sits lower in the court than any of our previous versions,” the company says, “giving you an incredibly lightweight feel in the court for quick bursts of movement and explosive cuts.”
Tech-wise, the Zoom Air unit lives in the forefoot as Nike engineers moved the most responsive cushioning to the front of the shoe as tennis players spend more time on their toes, from serves to quick changes of direction.
Molded sidewall returns and a full-length foot frame on the outside of the shoe were designed to help with stabilization while cutting. To reduce weight, Nike has shaved off the rubber in low-wear areas and the breathable mesh upper is meant to improve movement. Nike claims that the herringbone outsole combines grip with the ability to slide.
The new Nike Vapor 11.
Nike
Priced at $160, the Vapor 11 becomes the new flagship option in Nike’s tennis lineup.
As Nike released the Vapor 11, they expanded additional components of the Vapor silhouettes coinciding with the launch of the 11 with the new Nike Air Zoom Vapor Pro 2, a $120 shoe that mimics much of the Vapor’s technology. 11.
The Vapor Pro 2 is also designed with a low-to-the-ground lens and features Zoom Air cushioning in the forefoot. The shoe features a reinforced mesh, an outer foot frame and an “internal stretch sleeve”.
While Nike positions the Vapor 11 as a more capable model than the Vapor Pro 2, the Australian Open showed that Nike players are often mixed between the two shoes while others have yet to separate from the two shoes. previous models.
The past five years of Nike tennis shoes have offered a revolving door of designs, with some silhouettes making unique appearances and other offerings mimicking shoe technology already in the line. Seven of the 10 tennis shoes currently on sale in Nike’s men’s tennis category have “Vapor” in the name and eight of the 10 feature “Zoom”.