The Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 is the shoe that Roger Federer made famous, so much so that Nike later released the women’s version that we now see on the likes of top players like Maria Sharapova, Eugenie Bouchard, and Dominika Cibulkova. With all the hype I wasn’t sure if the shoe’s popularity was the product of great marketing or if it was simply a great shoe. In the end I determined that the shoe worn by the man whom some believe to be the GOAT is, in my opinion, possibly one of the best tennis shoes of all time. Let me share with you why:

Performance/Durability
While I don’t consider myself fast on my feet, this model made me feel like I was moving in record time. The slim, low profile made for great contact with the court throughout my entire step and responded well even when I changed directions quickly. After four matches the Extra Durable Rubber (XDR) tread maintained its structural integrity, including the toe cap, and the seams appeared to be holding strong. The mesh upper did start to show some signs of wear, though nothing extreme or unexpected - mainly just some minor stretching/softening.

Breathability
I was impressed with how well the mesh upper kept my feet from overheating. The first time I played in the shoe was on an indoor, air-conditioned court so I noticed mostly just how lightweight the mesh made the shoe and how much flexibility it allowed. When I played outside in the Houston weather with temperatures in the upper 90s I fully anticipated some sliding from sweat like I normally experience – but not with this shoe.

Comfort/Fit
Adaptive Fit technology seemed like a bit of an abstract concept until I slipped the shoe on and felt it hug my foot around the heel in particular. I’m no stranger to underpronation and ankle rolling but the heavily padded collar kept my foot stable enough during play that I wasn’t worried about injury. The stability was further enhanced by the lacing system which kept the tension perfectly intact throughout my matches. The shoe did offer the glove-like fit Nike advertised but wasn’t so snug as to cause blisters in any of the normal trouble spots. This is definitely a shoe that can be worn straight from the box with zero break-in time.

Overall
The Zoom Vapor 9.5 tennis shoe gave me everything I needed in a shoe: stability, light weight, and flexibility with a secure fit. It stood up well to the test on both indoor and outdoor courts and didn’t cause any blistering or other injuries. That Nike releases this shoe each season in cool new colors with a sublimated print only adds to the overall draw of this high performance shoe that I wholeheartedly recommend.