Disappointment for Roger Federer Fans as His Vintage Signature Sneakers Gets Massive Upgrade but With a Twist

Roger Federer’s glorious association with Nike’s Vapor series of sneakers dates back to 2004. At the time, a young Roger Federer, wearing the Vapor Speed, cruised to his second Wimbledon title. Since then, Federer became a Nike Vapor devout and collaborated with the brand to improve the series. Federer’s contribution to the design of the Vapor series was so immense that Nike is keeping it all intact in its latest Vapor AJ3 release. Nike will launch the sneakers on April 14. However, the only difference in the sneakers has disappointed a number of fans.

Despite the missing Roger Federer feature, the new Vapor AJ3 has plenty to offer

According to Racquetmag.com, the brand-new Vapor AJ3 will be available in Racer Blue, but will not feature the iconic ‘RF’ logo. Its construction bears a lot of similarity to the Vapor X, which Federer wore for such a long time as he went from being a prodigy to a legend. However, it features some stunning AJ3 touches as well.

At first glance, the Vapor AJ3’s white-based tumbled leather is the most striking element. Nike did well to include the elephant print on the heels and toes, which celebrates Nike’s super-talented designer, Tinker Hatfield. Royal blue touches on the Vapor AJ3’s eyelets, insoles, collars, and heels, to add to its distinct appearance.

Last but not least, there’s the unmistakable ‘Nike Air’ branding that adds a touch of class to the heels. Furthermore, the sneakers’ tongues feature the iconic Jumpman logo in blue. The Nike Vapor AJ3 may disappoint Federer fans owing to the missing “RF” logo, but it simply can’t happen since Federer switched from Nike to Uniqlo in 2020. However, it still makes for an excellent pair of sneakers.

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How did Federer contribute to the success of Nike’s Vapor series?

Roger Federer was actively involved in Nike’s attempts to revamp the Vapor series in the early 2010s. At the time, the Swiss Maestro was in talks with Nike designer Hatfield. Federer believed that the Vapor sneaker line offered numerous positives but could still improve in terms of its looks.

Hatfield closely observed Federer’s off-court training. He discovered that Federer would train in running shoes owing to the stiffness and heaviness of conventional tennis shoes. Federer offered insights to Hatfield on how Nike could create a tennis shoe that offers the positives of running shoes as well.

The result of the duo’s collaboration was the Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour, a comfortable and lightweight tennis shoe. The best thing about it was that it did not do away with the durability and traction of traditional tennis shoes.

Would you still buy the latest release of Nike despite it missing the iconic ‘RF’ logo? Let us know in the comments.

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