[Editor’s Note: VJ’s U.S. operations unexpectedly shut down the week before we published this review. We’re going ahead and sharing it for our international readers or creative U.S. readers.]
Previous to wanting on the spec sheet for the VJ Extremely 3 ($190), I truthfully hadn’t heard of the model, however on paper, the shoe seemed like it might hit my candy spot by way of stack top, drop, and general safety. I discovered in a short time throughout my first run within the shoe that I used to be in for a uncommon deal with. With ample cushioning that doesn’t sacrifice stability, the shoe is designed to cowl miles over tough terrain, and it does so with one of the best outsole grip I’ve skilled.
VJ is a Finnish firm based in 1981 that originally targeted on orienteering footwear and later branched out into winter and path trainers. Within the U.S., VJ footwear are well-known within the impediment course racing (OCR) scene and are famend for his or her grip on tough, slippery terrain. The model produces a small steady of shoe fashions that appear to have a devoted following from path and extremely runners who practice and race on slick, rocky, and technical terrain. The Extremely 3 doesn’t stray removed from this theme, and all through a fall and winter of testing in sloppy and moist circumstances, I discovered the shoe provides greater than sufficient safety.
Because the identify implies, the VJ Extremely 3 is made for longer distances, and it has probably the most cushion of any shoe within the model’s lineup. The 37-millimeter stack top beneath the heel and full rock plate present loads of cushion and safety from the bottom, and the 8-millimeter drop makes the shoe accessible to many forms of runners. To cowl a number of distance over variable terrain, the butyl-rubber outsole supplies loads of grip, and the 4-millimeter lugs supply traction on looser surfaces. The shoe has an precise weight of 9.5 ounces (268 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9, which is affordable for a extremely cushioned shoe.
VJ Extremely 3 Higher
The rand across the decrease a part of the VJ Extremely 3 higher supplies elevated sturdiness.
The VJ Extremely 3 higher supplied prompt consolation on my toes. VJ prides itself on creating sturdy footwear, and this higher is made from multi-density mesh, which is properly strengthened by a rand that extends from the toe round either side of the shoe. This one-piece higher is basically seam-free, minimizing the chance of scorching spots or irritation. The tongue is skinny and stays in place properly, and the lacing system is strengthened and feels very sturdy. The flat laces assist evenly distribute stress throughout the highest of the foot.
VJ employs its Fitlock design, which is a strengthened band on the medial aspect of the shoe that helps foot lockdown via the arch. I didn’t discover this characteristic in any respect when initially attempting on the shoe, however the further stability it supplies is straight away obvious when operating on technical or cambered terrain. The padding across the heel collar is relatively minimal, and I used to be shocked at how locked in my heels stayed when operating uphill. My favourite a part of the Extremely 3 is the toebox, which feels marvelously unrestrictive given the heel and midfoot lockdown. On steep downhills, I didn’t expertise any sliding ahead or toes bumping the entrance of the shoe.
I used the Extremely 3 this previous fall and winter in muddy and sloppy circumstances, and the higher exhibits little to no put on. I discovered the higher to suit true to dimension.
VJ Extremely 3 Midsole
The Fitlock band on the medial aspect of the VJ Extremely 3 supplies additional construction and stability.
The VJ Extremely 3 has a nitrogen-infused SuperFOAMance midsole. This can be a light-weight foam that feels pretty delicate and bouncy in comparison with many different path footwear. This softer really feel is bolstered by a full-length rock plate that sits between the midsole and outsole, providing surprisingly good safety for the way versatile it feels. For me, this flexibility was the massive shock takeaway with the VJ Extremely 3, and a characteristic I hardly ever expertise in newer path footwear. The flexibleness jogged my memory of footwear just like the early Altra Superior fashions or Pearl Izumi N2 (overview), the place I really feel like my total foot is absolutely engaged throughout the footstrike. The Extremely 3 is under no circumstances a minimalist shoe, however I did really feel like I wanted to heat up my plantar fascia and calf muscle groups to run properly.
Regardless of the excessive 37-millimeter stack top beneath the heel and 8-millimeter drop, it looks like a nimble shoe. The midsole has a rockered form to assist the foot transition via footstrike to toe-off.
VJ Extremely 3 Outsole
The butyl rubber outsole of the VJ Extremely 3 is likely one of the stickiest available on the market.
The VJ Extremely 3 boasts a 100% butyl rubber outsole, which has a wonderful popularity amongst OCR racers, orienteering fanatics, and path runners in sure elements of the nation, together with the Appalachian Mountains. This butyl rubber definitely feels totally different from the opposite rubber outsoles I’m used to on different footwear. I examined the outsoles on hardpack trails, mud, roots, moist rocks, and on trails in downpour circumstances. I can confidently say that is the stickiest and most safe outsole I’ve ever used, particularly on moist and moss-covered rocks and roots.
The Extremely 3 outsole consists of quite simple 4-millimeter lugs. The chevron-shaped lugs present grip whereas climbing, and the less complicated diamond-shaped lugs within the rearfoot help with downhill traction. Operating on loamy and muddy trails did trigger the lugs to carry onto some soil, however the outsole didn’t accumulate sufficient mud to get heavy.
VJ Extremely 3 Total Impressions
A prime view of the VJ Extremely.
The VJ Extremely 3 is refreshing in its simplicity and talent to work successfully for the terrain the place I used to be operating. I desire a shoe to really feel like an extension of my foot with sufficient safety for the gap I intend to run, relatively than feeling like a propulsion system with baked-in rigidity, plates, or different mechanical aids. Whereas I like a carbon-plated tremendous shoe for highway operating, thus far, tremendous footwear haven’t been for me on the paths.
The Extremely 3 has a dialed-in match and provides all-day consolation due to its flexibility and house for pure toe splay. The light-weight cushioning and rockplate really feel protecting, and the outsole is extremely sticky. Whereas $190 may really feel costly for a path shoe, those that commonly run on moist, technical trails will admire the grip and surefootedness the VJ Extremely 3 supplies.
Name for Feedback
- Have you ever run within the VJ Extremely 3? What did you suppose?
- What are your favourite footwear when grip is paramount?
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