VJ Ultra 3 Review

The VJ Extremely 3. All pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

[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 trying 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 will hit my candy spot when it comes to stack top, drop, and total 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 the very best outsole grip I’ve skilled.

VJ is a Finnish firm based in 1981 that originally targeted on orienteering sneakers and later branched out into winter and path trainers. Within the U.S., VJ sneakers 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 secure of shoe fashions that appear to have a devoted following from path and extremely runners who prepare 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 essentially the most cushion of any shoe within the model’s lineup. The 37-millimeter stack top underneath 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 numerous distance over variable terrain, the butyl-rubber outsole offers loads of grip, and the 4-millimeter lugs provide 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 offers elevated sturdiness.

The VJ Extremely 3 higher supplied instantaneous consolation on my ft. VJ prides itself on creating sturdy sneakers, and this higher is made from multi-density mesh, which is effectively bolstered by a rand that extends from the toe round each side of the shoe. This one-piece higher is basically seam-free, minimizing the danger of sizzling spots or irritation. The tongue is skinny and stays in place effectively, and the lacing system is bolstered and feels very sturdy. The flat laces assist evenly distribute strain throughout the highest of the foot.

VJ employs its Fitlock design, which is a bolstered band on the medial facet of the shoe that helps foot lockdown by the arch. I didn’t discover this characteristic in any respect when initially attempting on the shoe, however the extra stability it offers is instantly obvious when operating on technical or cambered terrain. The padding across the heel collar is reasonably minimal, and I used to be stunned 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 reveals little to no put on. I discovered the higher to suit true to measurement.

VJ Extremely 3 Midsole

The Fitlock band on the medial facet of the VJ Extremely 3 offers further construction and stability.

The VJ Extremely 3 has a nitrogen-infused SuperFOAMance midsole. This can be a light-weight foam that feels pretty mushy and bouncy in comparison with many different path sneakers. This softer really feel is bolstered by a full-length rock plate that sits between the midsole and outsole, providing surprisingly good safety for a way versatile it feels. For me, this flexibility was the massive shock takeaway with the VJ Extremely 3, and a characteristic I not often expertise in newer path sneakers. The flexibleness jogged my memory of sneakers just like the early Altra Superior fashions or Pearl Izumi N2 (evaluate), the place I really feel like my total foot is absolutely engaged throughout the footstrike. The Extremely 3 is not at all a minimalist shoe, however I did really feel like I wanted to heat up my plantar fascia and calf muscle groups to run effectively.

Regardless of the excessive 37-millimeter stack top underneath the heel and 8-millimeter drop, it seems like a nimble shoe. The midsole has a rockered form to assist the foot transition by footstrike to toe-off.

VJ Extremely 3 Outsole

The butyl rubber outsole of the VJ Extremely 3 is without doubt one of the stickiest available on the market.

The VJ Extremely 3 boasts a 100% butyl rubber outsole, which has a wonderful repute amongst OCR racers, orienteering fanatics, and path runners in sure elements of the nation, together with the Appalachian Mountains. This butyl rubber actually feels completely different from the opposite rubber outsoles I’m used to on different sneakers. 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. Working 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 General Impressions

A high 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, reasonably than feeling like a propulsion system with baked-in rigidity, plates, or different mechanical aids. Whereas I like a carbon-plated tremendous shoe for street operating, up to now, tremendous sneakers haven’t been for me on the paths.

The Extremely 3 has a dialed-in match and provides all-day consolation because of 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 recognize the grip and surefootedness the VJ Extremely 3 offers.