Since its debut in 2017, the Nike Air VaporMax has been a wildly popular shoe. Though the overwhelming majority of my sneaker roster are basketball shoes, I liked the shoe when I initially saw and but I did not get on the VaporMax train until the VaporMax 2. There has been a lot said about this shoe, but I decided I want to give you my take on my first day in the VaporMax 2.
9:07 a.m.- I put the shoes on my feet for the first time ever. Once I got them on, I immediately notice they feel “funny” underfoot, well perhaps “different” would be a better way to term it, as I have never worn a shoe like this before. I knew that the build of the shoe was essentially midsole-less and my foot would be right on top of the VaporMax unit. I immediately realize this feels nothing like any other shoe I have ever worn. One thing I did notice is the fit and flex is great right out of the box, which is to be expected, at least from a flexibility standpoint, with Flyknit.
9:36 a.m.- I had my first “uh-oh” moment in the shoe. Allow me to set this up -the distance between my kitchen is less than four feet from my bar. I was walking from my table to the bar to retrieve my billfold and when I went to stop, the shoe tipped over on me and I rolled my ankle. Fortunately for me, the shoe didn’t turn all the way over and the overall roll wasn’t too severe.
11:07 a.m. I am two hours in and I feel the first twinges of discomfort. It is primarily at the heel. My thought is that it stems from the fact i have never worn a shoe like this before and my foot has yet to adjust. I am going to try to press on for the sake of this review.
1:18 p.m. I have blown past discomfort and now firmly in the land of pain. From toe to heel my foot does not feel good. My knee hurts from kicking myself for not bringing my KD 11s just in case. I am wistfully reminiscing for the dream ride its Lunar and Zoom Air midsole provides. But alas, I cannot take these VaporMaxes off even if I wished to, for my beloved KD 11s are at home in my other book bag. The tinges of regret are starting to set in.
3:38 p.m. Lunch may have been a turning point in the day. Being off my feet for an hour was just what the doctor ordered. I may be able to tough this out.
4:53 p.m. It seems I may have broken through. The pain I was experiencing earlier is beginning to subside. With out my feet screaming in pain, perhaps I can start to appreciate the positives of the shoe, if there are any.
5:47 p.m. these don’t feel too bad anymore, dare I say I’m experiencing comfort!?
7:47 p.m I finally take the shoes off and so ends my first day in a VaporMax.
In my ten hours in the shoe, my experience started off decently enough, but degraded four hours in before ultimately taking a turn for the better. It seems that part of the issue was that my foot had to adjust to a shoe of that nature. I was fortunate in that it only took me the better part of one wearing for that biological acclimation to occur; for some people it can take multiple wearings. Once I broke through that barrier, the lack of pain allowed me to see the positive aspects of the shoes. The shoe fits and moves with your foot, even right out of the box, the vapormax 2 is very light weight and extremely breathable and the VaporMax units provide cushioning with out being bulky or clunky underfoot. I think the rollover issue I had was
