These are the best trail running socks around! Love the VJ design, too.
I've held out on maximum cushion shoes and now I don't know why. The Ultra 3s are PERFECT for my long runs, and have kept my feet comfortable during multiple 10+ hour OCR 50ks, wet, muddy, and all. I did have to go up a half size, despite the nice wider toe box, I wear an 8 in the Maxx2 but an 8.5 Ultra3 is most comfortable for me.
I have hiked 66 miles of Adirondack trail in them over the past 3 weeks and absolutely love them. So much toe box room and comfortable for long miles.
Perfect amount of cush and the grip I’ve come to value ima VJ This latest version of the ultra has highest level rating for me…super grippy sticky on technical trail and comfy on longer runs too. Best trail running shoe ever.
I was torn between these and the Lightspeeds and so I reached out to VJ and they recommended these for my stated purpose. Excellent advice. I am impressed with the build of this shoe. Heavy duty materials where they're needed to protect the foot on the trail, lightweight elsewhere. These are the lightest shoes I own (8.8 ounces, M-9) and yet somehow they feel substantial at the same time. Great ground feel, support and adequate cushioning. VJ's size advice is spot on. I typically wear a M-9.5 but sized down 0.5 and the fit is perfect. I bought mostly for the grip. I have a trail race coming up with a significant section of stone stairs and I am really concerned about slippage as I've run them before and they are somewhat technical, especially if wet. I have 100% confidence in the MAXx2 on this stretch. I've been running trails and gravel in Hoka Challenger ATR 7s...a very nice shoe. These are better in every way. Glad I took the plunge and bought them sight unseen.
These shoes are so comfortable and cute!! I will definitely be using them a lot for walking my dogs, easy runs around my neighborhood park which is a mix of grass, gravel, and road, and basic trail runs! They are super light and comfortable!
I have so many VJ that I will use some of my others for more technical terrain and racing but these ones will be worn a lot! I will even wear them for just going out since they are comfortable and stylish but also grippy!
Nice roomy toe box, comfy, cushiony, and drain water/dry better than previous models too! As always, can’t beat the #bestgripontheplanet! Excellent shoes for the slickery Adirondack mountains terrain!
Sometimes a new model of a shoe you wear regularly comes out and is a pleasant surprise, other times,
you get a sidegrade, no real substantive changes. Then there's the occasional disappointment. The Ultra
3 from VJ Sports is unfortunately very much in this last category for me.
The VJ Ultra 2 was my "do it all" shoe. Super fast descents down technical terrain, endless grip up
slippery rock slabs, comfortable enough to complete a couple of mountain marathons and even an ultra
in. The successor falls short of this benchmark for me in a lot of ways.
Now my expectations of a shoe are not applicable to everyone. I live in the wet tropics of Australia, and
my go-to runs are up and down mountains, through steaming rainforest and jungle.
First impressions and fit:
Straight out of the box, there's a lot to admire. The limited edition colourway "Vihreä" (Green) is
flourescent but desaturated enough to not hurt the eyes. Taking it up my local mountain I found it blended
nicely with the lichen on the rocks and the new growth from the rain. I'm actually a fan of lurid
mismatching colours on running gear, and the shoes also work in that regard. What's the point if you
don't look like a deranged clown hurtling through the forest?
The laces have an interesting construction, the green ridges on the side make for an excellent lockdown
that doesn't budge through eyelets or the knot. However, this can also be a downside if you're used to
your laces shifting subtly as you run to make the most secure and comfortable fit.
The thick slab of foam is slightly misleading, it doesn't feel anywhere near as high as it looks. This is the
midsole wrapping around the upper slightly. And finally the tacky, wonderful Butyl rubber compound that
anyone familiar with VJ knows the value of. Wearing the shoes on tile floors makes a sound like walking
on wet paint, and you can feel them sticking. It's that good. Now in a full coverage sole compared to the
Ultra 2's segmented approach.
Fit wise, I chose a 9.5US (my normal size), and the dimensions all seem correct. Walking around the
house and driving to my local mountain to try them out, all seemed good. However, once I started uphill
issues started arising.
VJ claims to have a wider toe box with this iteration, and I would agree in principle, however, my pinkie
toes rub like crazy against the side wall and the top of the upper. Something still isn't quite right with the
shape of the last. The fitlock system seems to engage well, but I really ran into problems tightening
these shoes.
I normally wear thick merino socks to protect my ankles and shins from the million biting, stinging insects
and the even worse plants in this corner of Australia. About 10 and 20 minutes into my climb, I adjusted
the lacing, much looser. At the 45 minute mark I had to take the shoes off entirely. Searing, grinding pain
on my lateral metatarsals, under the arches of my feet and even on top. It started uncomfortable but
bearable at the bottom, but just got worse as I continued. I found I was able to continue minus the socks,
but it was still not comfortable. Worse, the rubbing on the toes was now free to cause blisters. The fit was
good front to back, a very grippy material in the heel kept my foot in place, but I had way too much room
laterally in the heel, even before I took my socks off.
I tried again a few days later, with much thinner socks this time. Almost the same experience, just less
intense. I had to loosen the laces to the point of instability to feel comfortable.
Upper:
The aforementioned fitment issues thoroughly impacted how the shoe performed. Without a secure fit on
the foot, I wasn't able to be confident in foot placement, grip or responsiveness on technical downhill
sections. Even retightening to the point of pain to get the fitlock system to work for me, it was still loose in
the heel side to side.
Taking the shoes to a gentler trail and relaxing the laces, it was fine. A little insecure needing more
attention than normal, but inoffensive in most aspects. All of this could be idiosyncratic issues, i.e. just a
me problem, or maybe just this particular pair has an error in manufacturing. But the bad news for
technical terrain doesn't stop there.
Midsole:
VJ's nitrogen infused SuperFOAMance is a strange choice for this shoe compared to the firmer, more
responsive foam from the second version. It went from a comfortable powerhouse in the 2 to a slightly
wallowing, lazy feeling shoe in the 3 that makes you work harder to cover the same terrain. The foam is
the lowpoint of this shoe for me. It's comfortable underfoot, but isn't very springy, doesn't return much in
the way of energy. Worst of all, from a company that specialises in Skyrunning, Obstacle Course Racing
and handling the most extreme conditions with ease, it leaves the foot almost numb and unable to feel
the terrain underfoot. There's little sense of connection to the ground or securit...
This was my first VJ Shoe purchase. I bought it on closeout so no returns, but it was a risk I was willing to take because the price was right. Sizing is a bit off, even using VJ's sizing tool. Not terrible, but not right either. It's long and narrow or at least that's how it seems to me. Suspect I could have gone down a half size. That said, if I wear heavy socks the fit is reasonably okay. Not good enough for the Grand Canyon, but okay for day hikes and everyday wear. The shoe itself is delightful. It's very comfortable in a way a lot of similar shoes from other companies are not. The grip is amazing...everything VJ promised it would be. I like the feel of it on my feet. Literally zero break in required. Time will tell, but upper seems very rugged and durable. Overall, very pleased...enough so that I just bought a pair of MAXx2s for trail racing. Kudos, VJ.
This shoe effortlessly took me through a Spartan Trifecta weekend on a mountain with around 8,600 feet of elevation gain. The rocky, muddy, slippery and loose mountainous terrain was no match for the amount of confidence inspiring grip these IROCK+ brings to the table. The fitlock system locked my feet in perfectly which really helped give feedback on obstacles requiring precise foot placement. The upper was breathable and extremely durable against rocks and other trail debris. Toe box was plenty roomy and even with full sprint on steep descents, I never had any jamming or discomfort. I HIGHLY recommend these shoes for anyone looking to do any running/walking/hiking on any sort of rugged terrain not to mention their stellar performance in an OCR environment. VJ really killed it these!
The new iteration of the iRock is a step up from the original! It has the same great grip as the original, but with even more comfort and more room for your toes/feet if you like the extra space like I do. I highly recommend to check out the new iRock +, you won’t regret it!
I’ve worn these shoes on several occasions over 20 miles. I’ve got several other vj brands and I’ve loved this one the best for longer distance. Has a good amount of cushion while not rolling ankles.
A great ultra shoe that I used for my 100k on mildly technical single track. Good cushioning, grip, and nimbleness.
I’ve always been curious about VJ shoes although I’m in SoCal and most of the trails I run are smoothened dirt/gravel although there is a lot of elevation gain and descents over rolling hills. Anyway, I decided to give the Ultra 3 a try and I’m very glad I did because this is the perfect all-rounder for any type of terrain.
The fit is TTS and the mid-foot lockdown is superb with ample room in the toe box. The midsole is not soft or firm - just perfectly balanced for the trails - and the cushioning at the heel for bombing downhills is probably the best I’ve experienced in any trail shoe. The foam has a good forefoot bounce and enough propulsion to keep you moving.
The outsole is indeed amazing. It’s a bold claim to say “the best grip on the planet” but, I must say, I’m inclined to agree. The grip is very confidence-inspiring. The Ultra 3 can be deemed a “max-stack” trail shoe, but it’s light weight and still feels nimble and quite stable.
There are many great new trail shoes out there now and it’s difficult to say one is the “best”, but the Ultra 3 would have to be considered in any discussion about the top 3~5 trail shoes on the market today. It’s a very impressive all-rounder that can go the distance.
this is my 2nd pair of maxx and the additional cushion makes a huge difference. Grip is legendary and making these my newest OCR shoe.
Absolutely love these green shoes! They are the best! I have all of the VJ shoes and these are by far my favorite!
I absolutely love the new Ultra 3! It has the perfect amount of cushion, a wider toe box and is true to size! What an outstanding upgrade!! Definitely my new go to for the longer trail runs and races!!
Good Improvement, but………
It’s a trail running shoe. DIRT! It needs to be the color of dirt. The first time you take this goofy color on the trails it looks filthy. Change the color to an outside color not a city coffee house color.
Got the VJ Ultra 3 Limited Edition Green. The shoes arrived fast and the packaging was great. Shoes look phenomenal! The grip really is incredible. The foam feels great, but not too soft. Upper material is really nice. Toe box has plenty of room.
Only issue and it has been a major one for me has been the heel area of the shoe and the struggle to get a solid lock in. Normal lacing will have a super loose heel, lacing for a heel lock still leaves me with some play which leads to hot spots starting after the first mile, even sooner if it's up hill. Only solution that worked for me was tying them as tight as possible to the point of almost cutting off circulation in my feet. They have gotten a little better with about 25 miles now but the heel is still in no way comfortable.
If they had a more friendly return policy I would have sent them back 100% but they say if you wear them outside you can't return them. How are you supposed to know how a trail shoe feels until you get on a trail?
I know other people like this version of the shoe, so it may be just me, but I will just stick other brands, especially with better return policies if you don't like the shoes.
The Ultra 3 is a great all around trail shoe for cruising and racing. The cushioning is solid, the grip is tremendous, and the fit is good. I did have some top of the arch abrasion from the size label attached to the underside of the tongue (why?) and it got bloody on both feet. So I'd simply say watch the label and if it creases, you might just tape over the size label with some leukotype or some kT tape (that's what I did). The tongue is a bit thin for my taste, but otherwise everything is really good on this shoe. Happy running!
Who was behind the sizing of this model? UPS? With all these returns?
I am a size 10 in 95% of footwear, from all different brands. Sized down to 9.5 based on the reviews, and the shoe was too small. Returned for a size 10, and the shoe was way too long (banana foot). Who was behind the sizing of this shoe?!
The VJ Sparks are a great shoe to feel comfortable and confident on any trail!
Ultra 3 is hands-down my new favorite trail shoe I’ve ever worn. As always, the grip is insane—especially on slick, uneven terrain—and the added cushioning makes a huge difference over long distances. I love the roomier toe box and the locked-in heel fit. Plus, this limited edition green color is 🔥. Light, durable, and built for performance—VJ nailed it with this one. Highly recommend!
Their comfiest model yet! I have tried nearly all the VJ shoes in the last 4 years and this one is one of the best for overall training miles, whether on the treadmill, road or trail. These have a generous toe box which I appreciate very much and are super light. Love the neutral colorway in tan or black. Overall a great and very versatile shoe, two thumbs up.