Nike’s one of the most expensive sneakers, the Air Vapormax Plus is the subject of our review section this week. The Swoosh brand introduced their new, revolutionary midsole in 2017 with the Nike Vapormax sneaker released for the Air Max Day that year followed by several other versions, the latest being the 2023 edition. It was the first ever full length sole unit made of just Air Max technology featuring only air pods throughout the midsole. The result is a lighter shoe with a lot of bounciness and energy return in every step. Later that year the brand came up with the Nike Air Vapormax Plus, a hybrid of the 1998 classic and the new Nike Vapormax. Both of these versions were received with much enthusiasm by sneakerheads given their futuristic, trendy look. They were both designed by Sean McDowell , the one who came up with the Nike Air Max Kukini. It did not take long until special editions were released with powerhouses like Comme Des Garcons, Off-White and Clot. This sneaker is this way another spin-off of the Nike Air Max Plus, much like the Terrascape.
The pair we came across was the Obsidian/photo blue version of the Nike Air Vapormax Plus, a 2018 release. The shoes look great out of the box and feel quite lightweight given that they are a lifestyle shoe. They fit true to size although a bit narrow as you’d expect from a Nike Shoe. If in need for some Nike sizeing infor you can check out this size chart. Compared to the Nike Vapormax these have a bit of EVA midsole on top of the midsole which adds a bit of weight but will also give you a bit of height.
Upper
The upper of the Nike Air Vapormax Plus is made of a neoprene material with a mid TPU cage following the pattern of the classic model. The neoprene material feels lightly padded and fits like a sock, but it does not excel in breathability. In this regard the Nike Vapormax Flyknit is surely much more performant. It makes it, however, a shoe that you can wear in even colder weather which adds some versatility in this regard. The TPU mid cage adds some much needed stability and lockdown fit. Overall, what we noted during our Nike Air Vapormax Plus review is that these are built very much for casual wear and less for any athletic activities. They have a bit of a bulky look on feet without feeling that way which keeps them in line with the current trends.
Sole Unit
The sole is made of the EVA top layer similar to the classic on top of the Vapormax unit. The result is a well cushioned shoe with a cool shape and some decent energy return. The sneakers feature a midfoot shank as the Nike Air Max Plus have which add some stability to the whole assembly. The Air pods are distributed strategically to provide support and energy return with every stride. The shoes do not have much of an outsole, with the air chambers only having a thicker material on the lower side. This makes this sneaker prone to some of these chambers popping up, especially if you tend to carry some weight and you’re an overpronator or an underpronator.
Bottom Line
All in all, our Nike Air Vapormax review enforced our initial opinion of being a luxury sneaker. At its $210 price tag is one of the most pricey Air Max sneakers out there. It is a great looking sneaker and it is very comfortable. It is not , however, a shoe that will last long if you’re wearing it on a daily basis given the lack of a strong outsole. It is a sneaker that every Nike enthusiast will want to have in their collection and surely one that will give you some boost to your looks. If you want to look for a viable alternative the On Cloudnova is surely worth looking at when it comes to a high end fashion sneaker.
