Disgustingly plush. That would be an apt expression to describe the Vomero. This morning, I tested two shoes back to back - the Air Max 360 III first, followed by the Air Zoom Vomero. This meant that I ran 5 kilometers in the 360, then came back home, scribbled down some notes about the 360, and promptly changed in to the Vomeros for another 5k run. I thought it would be hard, especially after the run in the very average Air Max 360 III. But when I changed my socks and slipped my foot in to the Vomero's, I realized that the Vomero was not just a running shoe; it was much more than that, a cut above the rest. For starters, the material used in the collar and tongue lining was unbelievably soft, a far cry from the average lining fabric we are now used to seeing even on high end footwear. As if that was not enough, the soft fabric lined tongue was attached (gusseted) to the upper, so it felt like slipping into a pair of soft gloves. Another great feature is the use of high quality 'sandwich' mesh throughout the upper. As the name suggests, the mesh has two layers and they are interconnected by hundreds and thousands of synthetic filaments, which makes the mesh spongy to touch and it is a nice feeling when most of your foot is covered with the same mesh. Sandwich mesh seems to be very expensive, and that it is the reason why not many shoes use it. But it seems that the designer who made this shoe had a carte blanche to use nothing but the best, and it shows.

Plush all the way: Don't be shocked - this is how a 'sandwich' mesh looks when it is magnified 300x times. The upper layer (white ropey area) is interconnected with the base layer (black net) by means of synthetic filaments, which maintains the integrity of mesh structure and also is the reason behind the spongy feel. Lovely!

Stick your tongue: The tongue is attached to the upper (see the white 'U' area), hence providing a glove like fit. The Vomero +3 is an improvement over its previous version, so this is a rare case of the sequel bettering the original. The Vomero 2 tongue had ordinary lining, but the latest Vomero uses the luxurious lining even on the tongue.

It's become a habit with me now; during the 5k wear test, the first thing I tried to focus on was the heel area. Does it grip right? Is the collar padding comfortable enough? How about heel slippage - any signs of that? And I can't be blamed for thinking that way, since many shoes these days have very average heel grip, including heavyweights like the Adidas Megabounce+2008 and the Air Max 360 III. But with the Vomero, it was very, very different. The superbly fitting heel counter, the luxuriously padded collar shut out any random thoughts I might have had about the heel area. And once I caught up speed, adjectives failed me when I tried to think about a word which would best describe the effect Vomero's cushioning had on me. Luxurious? Boring. Plush? Cliched. Extra soft? Sounds like Garnier's shampoo advertisement. After sometime, I abandon adjectives in the favor of - "The cushioning of the Nike Air Zoom Vomero is freakin' awesome!!!"

Oh, I am in love. I love the way my foot softly sinks into the shoe every time my heel strikes the ground. I love the seamless heel to toe transition, the way my foot gradually moves from the heel area to the cushioned forefoot area, then finally taking off, getting ready for the next foot strike. I love the feeling of the spongy sandwich mesh and the silky soft collar and tongue lining working on my foot. Getting from point A to point suddenly loses its relevance, and I forget the fact that I just ran 5k before this run. I want to keep on running beyond the planned 5k, but I know that I have to run another 10k the next morning to test a couple of more shoes, so I have to resist yielding to the temptation of running longer. It is hard, since I can almost hear the shoe say - "Psst...Sneakerologist. Stop looking for faults and niggles, you'll find none. My name is the Nike Air Zoom Vomero, and what I do for a living is to transport people in unbelievable comfort, luxury and style. So now, if you'll allow me..."

On cloud nine: The heel counter is reinforced with a hardware called the 'FitFrame'(the black TPU piece with slits) which grips your foot securely where it matters the most. The molded heel area has a gentle curve, and when combined with the super silky and well padded collar, it makes the heel area fit perfectly, with zero slippage.

Now that I have cooled down a bit as far as crazy ranting about the Vomero is concerned, let's investigate what makes the Air Zoom Vomero+3 so well cushioned and comfortable. After all, at first glance, it looks just like any other running shoe. But as I had a closer look at the midsole and the outsole, I discovered that there was not just one factor, but several elements which came together to create the whole experience. A perfect sum of parts, if you will.

To begin with, let's have a look at the sockliner. Resting just beneath the foot, it is made of three layers - top cloth, on which you can see the 'Bowerman series' printed, the soft blue foam which is sandwiched between the top cloth and another white foam, which happens to be the third layer. Immediately below the sockliner is an EVA strobel which adds around three millimeters of soft cushioning. Then comes the white compression molded EVA midsole, which looks like any other midsole, but is not. After comparing the Vomero with countless other running shoes which I have in my closet, I noticed that the foam used in this shoe is a softer and resilient foam which Nike aptly calls the 'Cushlon'. Embedded in this Cushlon foam are Nike Zoom Air bag units which are thinner than the regular Nike Air bags, but are much more responsive. The Vomero+ 3 has Zoom air bags both in the heel and forefoot area, so the whole shoe has consistent cushioning. And last but not the least, the outsole uses pieces of blown rubber called 'Duralon' in Nikespeak which is much softer than regular rubber and contributed to the unworldly cushioning experience I was raving about.

One, two, three: The insole (sockliner) has three layers - the top cloth, the soft blue foam, and then finally the resilient 'casing'. The blue foam is exposed towards the arch, so that the area beneath the arch is soft and irritation free. Nice.

A few millimeters of softness: The orange EVA strobel rests between the sockliner (pictured above) and the Cushlon (below). The left shoe has a Nike+ cavity, so you can groove to your favorite tunes while running if you so wish.

Cushlon: This special compression molded EVA foam is softer and more resilient than the regular molded midsole foam. You might also want to check out the black area above the Cushlon area - what you see are pieces of TPU meant to stretch with each stride.

Zooming in on Zoom: The subtle callout beneath the heel points at the presence of Zoom Air units in the midsole.

Another sacrifice at the altar of solereview: Well, this is not the Vomero but another perfectly fine running shoe which had Zoom Air bags. The thin zoom air bag rests just above the white foam midsole - see the next picture for greater detail.

Zoom lense comes handy here: A close up of a Nike Zoom Air sole. This is very different from the conventional Nike Air bags we are used to seeing; the two layers of urethane are joined together by millions of fibers. So when properly inflated, the compressed air prevents the chamber from collapsing, and at the same time, the synthetic fibers keep the air bag from bulging out. Neat piece of technology here, isn't it? The Zoom air cushioning ranks as my favorite cushioning system, along with Asics Gel.

'Blown up' view of the blown rubber pods: Nike Cushlon, Zoom Air and now Duralon. It doesn't get any better than this...

The view from the bottom: The well thought of outsole design makes the Air Zoom Vomero+3 comfortable, flexible and durable at the same time. The flex area in the front gets rid of outsole rubber to make the area very flexible; Duralon blown rubber pieces in the front and mid section allows for softer landing; the outer edge of the heel area is bifurcated from the rest of the outsole, allowing the foot to touch down and transition smoothly. Lastly, notice the thin strip of grey Duralon rubber in the midsection which connects the heel and the front area. This explains why the heel to toe transition was so effortless during my run today.

It is clear that the Air Zoom Vomero+3 is no ordinary shoe. It is perhaps the most comfortable combination of foam and mesh to ever come out of the Nike stables. With such high standards comes a high sticker price. It sells in India at INR 8900, more expensive than most of the high end running shoes. But if you ask me, the Nike Air Vomero+ 3 is pure indulgence and there's always a price to pay for that sort of thing...

The Lowdown:

Shoe name: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+3

Color reviewed: White/Metallic Silver/Anthracite

Retail price (India): INR 7900

Estimated US retail: $ 125

Available at: Major Nike stores in India.

Recommended for: Recreational runners with normal arch types; brisk walks. Whether you are a lightweight runner or weigh more than 100 kilos, this shoe will work for you, no matter what

Not recommended for: Runners with flat foot / low arch. Not for racing or tempo runs.

Weight: 348 grams for a half pair of UK 10/US 11

Verdict: Probably the best cushioned running shoe you'll find in India. If you have the extra moolah, do yourself a favor and buy the Nike Air Zoom Vomero+3. Now.