Nike Air Zoom Vapor X 'Black Speed Yellow Spray'
Colorway: Black/Speed Yellow/White · Style code: AA8030-013 · Release date: January 22, 2021 · Price: $163 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Nike Air Zoom Vapor X HC 'Solar Red' (AA8030-006) · Nike Court Air Zoom Vapor X HC 'Black Volt' (AA8030-009) · Nike Air Zoom Vapor X HC 'Black' (AA8030-010) · Nike Court Air Vapor X Black Sneakers (AA8030-016) · Nike Air Zoom Vapor X HC 'White' (AA8030-100)
The Vapor line is Nike's tennis shoe for players who move first and hit second, and the X (the Roman numeral, marking the tenth) replaced the Vapor Tour 9.5 that Roger Federer had worn for years. Tinker Hatfield drew the earlier versions; this one refined rather than replaced them, keeping the Zoom Air cushioning and the internal fit sleeve while switching to an engineered mesh that needed no break-in and adding a larger, more aggressive frame around the foot for containment. Federer described it simply as lighter than what had come before. Playtesters agreed on the fit and split on the outsole, which several found slicker than the previous model's. This version lays a speed yellow spray pattern across a black upper, a graphic treatment applied across the tennis range rather than a player edition. It reached shops in early 2021, near the end of the model's life, shortly before the Vapor Pro took over the same position in the line.