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!

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?!

I was hesitant to try another pair of VJ Shoes after being quite disappointed by the XTRM model, which felt very dead, and had no better traction than other brands. However, I spoke with someone who owned a pair of the Maxx 2s, someone I trust, and they spoke very highly of them. From the moment they slipped onto my feet, I was hooked! The fit was excellent (order 1/2 size smaller, perhaps even 1 full size if you always wear very thin socks; 1/2 size worked great for me), securing snuggly yet comfortably around my entire foot. As soon as my feet began to hit the ground, I could feel a noticeable return in energy with each foot strike, and I felt encouraged to push the pace quicker and quicker, with each step feeling like it came more and more easily. Traction was excellent, with the only slippage coming on smooth, off-camber river rocks, which I'm not sure anyone can do much about, and at the end of the run, my legs felt noticeably more fresh than they had in a long time post-run. This shoe not only encourages quicker running, but also staying out there for longer. I'm not sure it would be great for slogging slow, recovery miles, just because it's so much fun to run fast in- the shoes just make running quickly feel good! I use them for all my quality speed training, especially when the terrain gets more and more technical- you don't feel 100% impervious to rocks with these shoes, but you do feel like you can run over an awful lot at a high pace. They even run well should you have to run some pavement to link between trails! This shoe is a huge leap forward from the VJs of old, and they work great under virtually any circumstance, which is why I've been steadfastly encouraging all my running friends to get a pair for themselves. Well done VJ, the Maxx 2 is a 9.5/10 shoe in my book.

Amazing grip and support for miles!! get a half size smaller than your regular trail shoes.
cannot love em enough