They hit the US market back in 2016 when Jon Albon was racing the VJ irock’s in US races. Almost every Spartan pro was wearing an Xtrm or Maxx model from then on.
I was racing week ago in complete snowstorm in high elevation 50 miler with a lady in VJ's and she swore by them, she lives and trains in very hilly nasty weather conditions so I want to get them for technical surface races, which are the best fun lol
Suggestion: include a closeup shot of the shoes in your video thumbnails and ideally during the review when going over the specs. Personally, I typically listen to these while working, but it would still be nice if I didn't have to squint to make out the key features of the shoe when the specs are discussed. The content of your reviews is good and we don't need Kofuzi level shots, but even as simple as if one of your screens briefly took over and we got a closer walk through, that would help. Easier said than done I am sure.
Appreciate the feedback! That sort of thing is definitely in the works for the next shoe review and all future ones after that. Definitely a learn by doing type process, but I am feeling ready to continue to add a few more layers to the video edits
Best grip on the planet for sure. Really enjoy these shoes, which are perfect for West Coast of Norway where there are more rocks than trail. Everyone here wears them; they are Scandinavian. However, they are fairly firm and rigid, and as you say, VJ have great potential!
Definitely makes sense then for trail that is mostly rock! They definitely are very firm. How would you compare the grip of this to something like the Vibram outsole on the Nnormal Kjerag?
Just replaced a pair of XTRMs with these. The former were giving me Achilles issues; these have a bit more bounce needed for my first ultra (super technical 50k) in January. So far so very good and the butyl soles are the best on wet rocks (i run coast paths, live by the sea) by miles. Love them! A bit roomier than XTRMs; I lace them a bit tighter.
Thanks for your feedback and thanks for watching! Sounds like the VJ Ultra 2 is going to be a great choice for a technical January 50k. Best of luck out there!
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Vj Bold X is my favourite shoe for off trail running. Very fast and agile!
Does that model have spikes underfoot? What kind of terrain do you normally take those on? Looks like a very fast shoe indeed!
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@@ConversationalPace yes they have star shaped steel studs . I use them mainly for orienteering in Finnish forest - mossy, boggy, rocks, roots, twicks, a lot of bushes and only little trails. The upper is very durable and fit precise. Studs are useful on wet slimy rocks and roots.
Yes, just a little bit too much volume for a shoe meant for technical and precise running. If they get that ironed out for the next generation, they're going to have a real winner on their hands!
I had the first version of this, the VJ1. It did not work for me -- the undercut arch and soft foam exacerbated pronation issues, causing knee pain for me, while the primitive upper also gave ankle collar rubbing, and I ended up disliking the shoe even more than the Speedgoat 5. It's important to note that neither of you mention outsole delamination, which many experienced in VJ1 and was starting to occur on my pair as well: This is a good sign! They must have improved the outsole design to fix this issue with VJ2. I'll avoid the VJ in future, but am interested in the VJ Spark, as with a lower stack it could be more stable with less pronation issues.
I'd probably wear the Jackal because the upper fit and lockdown was much better for me. This VJ is a little more cushioned, but the La Sportiva has enough cushion for 10-20k distances
While I don't have enough miles on the Maxx 2 yet for a full review, I definitely prefer the Maxx 2. It's a little softer, and the upper material is softer while still being very strong. Grip is incredible on both
I don't do any sort of scrambling, so I can't speak from experience, but I have heard from others that this outsole rubber is some of the best in the industry for rocks.
Not yet! Full transparency, we don't have any plans for that shoe for the immediate future, as our next few months are pretty set with shoes. As we head to the winter months though, and need some additional grip, I could totally see VJ making its way back to the studio!
I have the XTRMs; excellent grip as expected but narrow and quite unforgiving. Great on shorter runs but they’re quite harsh on longer runs. I run mostly super hilly/rocky coastal paths.
I had the Ultra 1 and bought the XTRM 2 last Fall. I love the fact that the XTRM 2 are lighter. The tongue is longer on the XTRM 2, which solves a problem with the Ultra. My longer runs are 10 miles / 16 KMs, so I don’t miss the bigger stack of the Ultra.
A great use case for VJ shoes with their excellent outsoles is running in winter on frozen grounds. The « built like a tank » feeling you get when wearing the VJ Ultra is very reassuring when running on irregular frozen grounds or snow, and the amazing grip is definitely a plus. Their upper is also not super breathable, which is a plus in cold temperatures. I live in Quebec and these have become my favorite non-spiked winter shoes. I just ordered their Ice Hero with 18 studs at -30% and they should be a great complement. If you feel that the VJ Ultra is too bulky for you, try the XTRM2. Lighter and narrower with deeper lugs.
