Nike Zoom Vomero 9

Color: Black/White-Volt

Intended use: Conditioning/recovery runs, heavy runners.

Surfaces tested on: Road, synthetic track 21° C/70° F

Upper: Tightly woven forefoot mesh, Flywire cord based lacing system, two layer mesh from midfoot to heel.

Midsole: Cushlon foam (EVA), Zoom air bags in heel and forefoot.

Outsole: Blown rubber in forefoot, Carbon rubber in mid-foot and heel.

Weight: 337 gms/11.89 Oz for a half pair of US 11.

US Retail: $ 130                                                        

The 2014 Zoom Vomero 9 completely overhauls its upper. Mid-foot cinching system is overhauled, with Vomero 9 shifting to a Flywire lacing arrangement from last year’s dynamic support. The mesh is changed from a spacer type to a kind which is more tightly knit and has less compression when squeezed. The thin Hyperfuse layers have been replaced with regular, adhesive bonded synthetic overlays, making the Vomero 9 look a tad more conventional. With Dynamic support straps gone in the mid-foot, the design now features diamond shaped cut-outs with the Flywire cord’s showing through. Eyelets are traditional punched-in holes on the upper, with loops of the Flywire cords lined up against it. The laces go over the tongue which is shorter than last year’s Vomero, and comes un-gusseted with the reflective lace loop missing.

The heel area is altered in a couple of ways. One, the mesh lining is upgraded to a plusher kind, and two, the heel counter molding is slimmer, bringing both the sides closer to the foot. Reflectivity is scaled down around the heel – the large, curved area from the Vomero 8 is replaced by reflective panels placed underneath mesh cutouts. Here’s a picture of how they look during low visibility:

The bottom unit hasn’t changed at all. We’ve covered all in our Vomero 8 and 7 reviews, but for everyone’s benefit, here’s the lowdown. The midsole is a single piece Cushlon foam which looks like it’s made of two parts because of paint on the upper portion. The heel and forefoot have zoom units, with the plastic stability piece under the arch side. Rear of the outsole is Nike’s BRS 1000 compound, a type of carbon rubber (marking) which is used by the brand around high wear areas. Forefoot outsole is blown rubber, or Nike Duralon in brandspeak, which is softer than BRS 1000. Rubber lugs are of the rectangular kind, with generous amounts of Cushlon showing through the flex grooves.

Running in the Vomero 9 results in an overwhelming sense of Deja Vu. It rides like the Vomero 7 and 8, because well, uh, the sole unit is exactly the same. Heel cushioning is firm, with the foot resting over a heel Zoom air unit encapsulated in a single layer of Cushlon midsole foam. A piece of hard cardboard sits between the Zoom Air bag and heel, and that is the reason why the padding feels slightly stiff. This sole unit does not have the separate foam crash pad of Vomero 6 and earlier, so landings are no longer pillowy soft – part of  older Vomero’s appeal.

Forefoot feel is not ideal too. As we’ve pointed out in our reviews of the 2012 and 2013 Vomero’s, the Zoom Air bags reduce forefoot flexibility. It also gets in the way of smooth heel to toe transition, with  a lumpy sensation felt underneath at slower speeds. You can literally feel the Zoom Air bag as a separate component underneath while in motion. On the brighter side, grip is good on the Vomero, with lots of rubber lugs positioned between the heel and toe. Rearfoot is regular carbon rubber, and the forefoot gets Duralon, a kind of blown rubber which is softer. Durability also scores high with rubber covering the expanse of the outsole.

Upper plushness goes down by a few notches due to mesh swap, and use of the Flywire lacing system which tends to apply localized pressure on the mid-foot. We preferred the Dynamic support straps used in the Vomero 8 which distributed mid-foot compression much more uniformly. The tongue continues to be de-attached from the upper, and lack of a gusset has the tongue sliding to its side after a few minutes of running. The tongue is shorter than the Vomero 8, but we didn’t feel any negative effect on the performance.

Heel is one area which the Vomero 9 does better than the 8. The collar grip has improved dramatically because of the narrower heel counter molding . The collar of the 2013 Vomero 8 was molded very wide, which caused the foot to move around during runs. The Zoom Vomero 9 modifies counter molding to reduce the open space between both sides of heel. The result is a much improved fit around the ankles, with no heel slippage observed during our test runs.

But then a shoe is sum of parts. Add everything up, and the Vomero 9 fails to meet our expectations. The expectation of being a plush, neutral running shoe which betters older Vomero versions. The expectation that every step should be one of supreme ride comfort and luxurious fit and feel. The expectation of the satisfying feeling of $130 well spent. The 2014 Vomero 9 does none of that, and that is sad. Because we know it is possible. Six years ago, the Vomero 3 shone bright over anything else in mesh and foam, and Vomero 9 could have been a torch bearer of that legacy. But unfortunately, it is not.

  Instead of the thin strobel fabric in the Vomero 7, the version 8 uses a foam layer on top of the cardboard (which is visible through the small hole in the heel). Reduces the extra firm feeling of the Vomero 7, but only so much.