High Quality PDF file: DVS Vapor Weartested
Around 2005, DVS had one of the best skate teams out, featuring big guns like Dennis Busenitz, Jason Dill, Daewon Song and Steve Berra. Their everlasting influence was cemented by „Skate More“, which is worth a rewatch even nowadays. However, after losing a major chunk of their team riders, DVS got sucked into the “where they at?“ vortex, leading to multiple speculations about their demise.
Safe to say, in 2013, DVS has returned. Team manager Paul Shier got some new guys on the team, such as Jon Nguyen and Zack Wallin, enjoi’s newest addition with monstrous pop. The rebuilding process didn’t just stop at the team; DVS has blessed us with an upgraded shoe-line as well. DVS packs a double punch with classic models in fresh colors, as well as models with new designs and innovations. One of these new flagships is the DVS Vapor, which we had the pleasure of weartesting for you.
The DVS Vapor fits true to size.
The Vapor features a clearly divided front foot area without overlapping material, which leads to increased durability. The seams on the side use double-stitching techniques, but are still positioned in a critical area. And, as expected, those stitches didn´t stand the stress applied by the griptape during our 10h test. But thanks to good craftsmanship and horizontal material layers this wasn´t really a problem.
The rubber areas and suede held up really well. The upper lace loops are hardly protected, leading to abrasion pretty quickly, which shortly after was reflected in signs of abuse in the shoe. The pattern of the sole is rather deep, but still showed some blank spots, leading to our expectation that its grip would suffer soon.
The Vapor, being a cupsole model, offers great cushioning and impact protection. The midsole is a little thicker in the heel area and uses harder foam. The reason for that is harder foam does not get compressed as much by regular impacts, which maximizes cushioning capabilities for those harder impacts by not having been compressed 100% already. Luckily, this does not decrease boardfeel since the sole is still thin in the toe area.
Although the DVS Vapor sports a wider silhouette than the usual models nowadays, it still fits really well. The pointy toe leads to great flick and control as well. The shaft itself is rather wide, providing a lot of movement for your foot and a bit of a looser fit. Since the heel is rather high, this does not decrease foothold.
The sole construction is typical for a modern cupsole. A thicker heel area for optimal cushioning combined with a thin toe area to increase boardfeel leads to a great balance between cushioning and boardfeel. The Vapor does this so well that it gets close to vulcanized constructions, with deep incisions dividing the pattern. This leads to increased flex and also increased grip. Although the sole is grippy and flexible, the durability of the sole is, as already mentioned, not one of the strengths of this model.
On the topic of comfort, one has to mention that the toe cap area offers a very good hold. This, combined with the heel’s impressive balance between flex and stability, contributes to the DVS Vapor’s shine. The inner stitching is present, but does not rub or annoy the feet in any way. The weight, being an important factor when it comes to comfort, is another positive aspect. Weight reduction was obviously an important factor in designing the Vapor, but sadly, ventilation was not. Another positive note is the fact that the Vapor keeps its shape really well, there were no parts of the shoe that noticeably became loosened or widened, which ensured lasting comfort during the lifetime of this shoe.
The DVS Vapor is a stable cupsole model, with strengths in cushioning, boardfeel and grip. The durability of the sole and ollie-area are slight weaknesses, but still, these are impressively overshadowed by the Vapor’s positive features.
