After lots of testing of various shoes and careful thought I decided to use the VJ Ultra 3 for my most recent 100 miler through some pretty rugged territory. Longest run(s) before the race were a few 20s and a few shorter runs so went in with around 90 miles on them. Perfect shape for my feet. However, at around mile 40 I started to get chafing around the heel collar on both sides which became extremely painful by mile 60. It had caused a very straight line rip through my socks and turned bloody. Never seen this before, much less experienced it. Changing socks didn't help. Wish I would have taken pictures. I will probably buy another pair but won't go past 20 miles again. Thankfully I was able to hobble in, but a month later, still have blood blisters and remnants of rubbing. Hopefully V4 will solve this problem for me, as the rest was perfect (though the tongue could be a few mm taller). I did manage to analyze the heel afterwards but couldn't see anything obvious other than it appeared to taper in just a tad as opposed to many brands that flare out backwards.
I was very excited for this shoe based upon its natural foot shape, but unfortunately, it led to numerous issues. Due to the thin heel padding and tongue, as well as poor lock down, I experienced bilateral heel blistering. I tried to heel lock, which led to lace bite and blistering because of the thin tongue. I’m not one to blister, so that’s saying something. I reached out to customer service, but they were unwilling to process a return.
The first 50-75 miles in this shoe were amazing. Great fit, fantastic midsole, and standard VJ outsole excellence. Unfortunately, the midsole foam rapidly packed out and with less than 150 miles on them, I had to retire these shoes.
A smaller issue is it took awhile for the ankle collar to break in, leading to a lot of rubbing on my outer ankle bones at first. I taped over them and eventually it got better.
If the midsole durability can be improved while retaining the fantastic bounce it has when new, these shoes would be a winner because the rest of the design is great.
Theses are the most comfortable socks I have ever ran in. Breathable and cushion make for perfect sock for OCR and Trail.
The Ultra 3 is a new and different creature from VJ that feels designed to go fast and long on slightly less technical, more firm packed terrain.
It’s more similar to recent trail “super shoes” from Adidas and The North Face than the more aggressive, minimalist, orienteering style shoes we saw from VJ previously, and this new option is very welcome as it still comes with great lock down and the famously grippy outsole we appreciate so much.
I have 89 miles on my pair and can say the foam is bouncy but not too soft, the underfoot protection is great, rocker is smooth, and toe room is ample. The shoe also has felt increasingly stable as I’ve broken it in, making them feel capable on increasingly technical terrain. Will likely get a fresh pair for Mogollon 100 miler and Black Canyon 100k.
4/5 stars as the shoe is a bit wide/high volume for my narrow feet and the liveliness of the foam may be at the cost of longevity.
P.s. VJ sizing has been a bit unpredictable. So for sizing reference, I’m a 9.5(US) in the Xtrm2 and MaXx2, a 10.5 in the Ultra 2, and a 10 in the Ultra 3.
