After a short break-in period, the Nike Zoom Vapor 11s provided our team with a comfortable ride throughout the playtest. From the very start, Mark appreciated the cushioning of the Vapor 11s. He started by saying, "I like my tennis shoes the way I like my mattress: comfortable, but firm. From my first outing in these shoes to after 30 hours of play, the midsole cushioning remained firm, comfortable and supportive. Although the cushioning was better than the breathability, the Vapor 11's ventilation was sufficient, and the lower-than-medium arch height worked just fine for my rather high instep foot type."

"I really liked the ride I found in the Zoom Vapor 11s," continued Chris. "The uppers did take a slight break-in, but once they softened up, I found a high level of comfort. I liked the amount of cushioning these shoes offered. The overall feel was very comfortable, and I could hit for several hours in these shoes with no issues. I never felt any undue strain on my arches, and my feet felt comfortably protected in the Vapor 11s.”

Jason has much wider feet than Chris, and he said, "Unlike previous Vapor shoes, the Vapor11s felt like they needed a slight break-in period. They just felt a bit firm right out of the box, but after three or four hours on court, they were good to go. I thought the underfoot cushioning was more substantial than in years past, which was great. As someone who has slightly wider feet, I had no issues with pinching or any discomfort stemming from the width."

Troy was pleasantly surprised too, adding, "I was pretty impressed with the overall comfort level of these Nike Zoom Vapor 11s. In the past, I was one of the few who wasn't a huge fan of the Nike Vapors, partly because they were too minimal and lacked underfoot cushioning. With these Vapor 11s being a more beefed up, stable and supportive option in the Vapor line, they are now more in my wheelhouse. The mesh upper material proved to be very comfortable on top of my feet, and I never found any unwanted pressure points, pinching or rubbing. When it came to the Zoom Air unit in the midsole, I noticed that these Vapor 11s felt a bit more substantial than pretty much any Vapor I had tried in the past, which I found to be a positive. However, I was hoping for a slightly softer and bouncier feel underfoot, like the Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo, and these shoes weren't quite up to that level. The ventilation was pretty much what I would expect from a Vapor. I wouldn't say they were the most breathable shoes that I have playtested, but I thought the uppers had decent breathability and I never felt uncomfortably hot or stuffy."

The durable mesh upper and molded sidewalls are the key elements of the Vapor 11's support and stability. This was without a doubt the highlight of the playtest for Chris. He described, "I loved the support and stability of the Zoom Vapor 11s. I felt like I could move as aggressively as possible and be fully protected in these shoes. I loved the support I had from the Vapor 11s on lateral cuts. I was able to stop quickly and change directions without any issue. I liked that my feet weren't sliding around inside the shoes, so I never had to worry about blisters on the bottoms of my feet or having my toes jam into the ends of the shoes on quick stops."

Troy also found nothing but positives in this category. He said, "When it came to the lateral stability of these shoes, I felt like the full-length foot frame did a good job of supporting my feet when I made lateral changes of direction. The mesh uppers provided a nice blend of flexibility and comfort, but also offered the support that I needed when moving around the court. I think it was the combination of the soft and flexible mesh upper and sturdy sidewall that made the Zoom Vapor 11s really comfortable, but also stable enough for aggressive movements."

"I think the stability aspect is where these shoes really shine," added Jason. "That molded sidewall on the lateral side did a great job of keeping my feet stable when I was moving side to side or starting and stopping quickly. When lacing up and trying to get a snug fit, I was left wanting one more set of eyelets at the foot opening to really help lock my feet into place."

Don't let the name of this shoe fool you, the Nike Zoom Vapor 11 received high marks in outsole durability. However, some playtesters did note minor wear and tear on the toe bumper and upper. Jason thought these Vapor 11s were vastly improved from past Vapor models. He said, "The durability of these shoes is impressive, especially if you consider that it is part of the Vapor family. The Vapor 11 definitely feels more substantial than previous models, and the durability is proof of that. I've put about 15 hours on my test pair and only see the slightest wear and tear."

Mark had no problems comparing the Vapor 11 to some other top shoes on the market. He said, "The Vapor 11 is comparable with the Asics Gel Resolution 9s and KSwiss Ultrashot 3s in terms of its abrasion-resistant outsole. Although the Vapor 11s do not currently feature an outsole warranty, they are very durable hard court tennis shoes."

"The outsole durability is pretty impressive, considering these shoes are in the Vapor family," Troy agreed. "I noticed hardly any wear underneath the balls of my feet and near the forefoot region, which are the locations where I usually notice the most wear and tear. My only concern would be with the top of the shoes at the tip of the toe; the mesh isn't all that durable for those who drag their toes on serves. I don't typically drag my toes when I serve like I used to back in the day, but I noticed a bit of wear on the mesh upper part of the toes. For heavy toe-draggers, that might be more of an issue."

As a toe-dragger, Chris did note some pluses and minuses when it came to overall durability. He said, "My pair of Zoom Vapor 11s held up very well. I was impressed that the outsoles showed little wear even in my high-wear areas. I did get some scuffing on the toe tips of the shoes. I would likely wear through the left shoe's toe tip first since I drag that shoe on slice backhands, which is one of my favorite shots to hit."

Our playtesters had varying opinions regarding the traction of the Vapor 11s, but that didn't stop this category from being the highest rated of this review. Troy found a nice balance of grip and give. He said, "The traction and the unique data-informed design on the outsole worked well for me during the playtest. One thing that stood out to me was that the level of grip is not too sticky, and this was good because I like a little bit of give when coming to a stop. I noticed this on the Nike React Vapor NXT, which has a similar outsole to this Vapor 11 and is targeted toward players who slide on hard courts. I found a nice amount of grip when I needed to push off, but also the give I prefer whenever I need to slam on the brakes."

Chris continued, "I found the level of grip to be spot on in the Zoom Vapor 11s. I was also able to pivot and take small adjustment steps without the outsoles getting hung up on the court surface. Top marks here from me."

Jason also found the traction to be on the slicker end of the spectrum. He said, "Although not quite as slick as the Asics Court FF 3s, the Zoom Vapor 11s are up there. I found it easy enough to slide out of shots when moving side to side, but there was enough grip for me to push off without slipping."

On the other hand, Mark found the traction a little stickier than expected. He said, "At my age, I’m not one to try and slide on a hard court (or a clay court for that matter), and I will say that the Vapor 11's outsole is a bit stickier than some, but with a little play time in them, I was getting a nearly perfect level of outsole grip versus slip."

Nike added some ounces to the Nike Zoom Vapor 11s, but our playtesters were very happy with the results nonetheless. Chris thought the Zoom Vapor 11s felt faster on court than the scale would have one believe. He said, "I was able to move very well in these shoes. With all of the support and durability they offer, I was impressed that the Vapor 11s felt so natural and fluid on court. I liked the feel when I transitioned from heel to toe, and I felt the shoes hid their weight well."

Mark thought the Vapor 11s offered the best of both worlds. He explained, "The weight is a bit over 15 ounces (U.S. men's 10.5), which is in the ballpark of most of my current favorite tennis shoes. Admittedly, weight is one indicator of what to expect from a tennis shoe, but shoe construction is a major factor as well, and I have to say that the Vapor 11s are substantial shoes that still feel speed-oriented."

The weight was the biggest difference for Jason from past iterations. He said, "The weight of these shoes is where I think users of previous Vapors will notice the biggest change. They are more built up in the cushioning, the outsole and the midsole, and all that makes the shoes feel more Vapor React NXT-like than Vapor X-like."

The longer Troy wore the Vapor 11s, the better they got. He wrapped up the playtest, saying, "I had no issues with the weight of the Nike Zoom Vapor 11s. I know that if you look at the weight on the scale, it looks fairly heavy for a Vapor, but this shoe didn't feel all that heavy on the court. There was a slight break-in, but after that, my pair flexed well and felt smooth when I was moving around the court. Also, I actually prefer shoes that are a bit more built-up than the previous Vapors as long as I get that added comfort and stability, and these Vapor 11s delivered on that."