The MAXx2 is by far the best trail/OCR shoe I've ever put on my feet. Whether it's a small training run on the trails, or a 12 hour ultra on a mountain, these shoes do not disappoint! The grip is second to none on every type of surface. The comfort is amazing, especially with how much ground feel you still get. Highly recommend the MAXx2, you will be glad you got them!
I'm pretty happy with them. I've worn them for a couple gnarly Alaska races — the Mount Marathon Race and the Crow Pass Crossing — and they've performed well. I do worry about durability due to the mesh-like fabric, but they haven't blown out yet! They are a little wider than the Inov-8s that I'm used to, so I've had to adjust to that and concentrate on not clipping roots and rocks due to the bigger footprint. The grip is good, they are lightweight and run low to the ground, all of which are important to me. I initially sized up 1/2 size as recommended and then they were 1/2 too big; sizing up NOT necessary (at least for me)
Thanks for the review! To make the shoe durable in the most harsh and demanding conditions, the XTRM2’s upper is made of Swiss Schoeller Keprotec® - material which is incredibly durable and protects the foot against scratches.
The VJ MAXx2 has been an absolute blast to run in. I have used these to train on slick southeastern Norwegian trails (these have the best grip on slick rock) and I am really happy with their race performance on Bessegen (Norway) and Mount Marathon (Alaska) with the shoes holding up well in dry and wet conditions... and the grip, phenomenal! My only complaint is that the removable insole blew out after the first rate (flat as a sheet of paper in the heel and forefoot). I replaced with 3rd party insoles and the shoes are back in business.
I'vev used these for about 25 miles: about 10 miles off trail on talus, and the rest on grave road/ single track. The rubber seems fine but I have a huge fissure/crack in the midsole foam that I can see underneath the outsole rubber on the heel of the shoe. Looks like a molding issue. Unsure if I have bad pair or what?!
