Customer Reviews

I'm so impressed with the Ice Hero! They keep my feet dry and warm in fresh powder and in old heavy snow. They do well on soft ice too and are so light. I thought running with studs would be uncomfortable but I don't feel them at all. One little drawback is my ankles do wabble around a bit when I hit any lumps, footprints or ski tracks so I have to be aware of that when running on more heavily traveled areas. Overall, I'm glad I bought these and love running in them!

The Xtrm 2 is a great shoe for spartan/ocr races! The grip was just great on everything. Unless you have legit wide/brick type of feet, I would 100% get this to race! I will be using this shoe for Spartan Sprint & super distance. For reference, I use size 9 men's in all Altra shoes. For VJ I use a 9.5 & it feels great toe space for a race shoe. When I am doing a spartan race, I am racing so I don't expect a comfortable all day shoe. I want something I can feel confident bombing downhill, cutting, mud, obstacles etc. Amazing shoe!

Love my new trail running shoes. Love that they are snug to my feet. I’m breaking them in around the house. Can’t wait to try them out!

Bought my 3rd pair of Ultras. Nothing but great things to write about this shoe-grippy, comfortable, and durable. Most importantly, I’ve stopped turning my ankles on the trails, and course in this shoe compared to other brands. This is my go-to trail/ OCR shoe from now on.

I have been using the MaxX and have loved them. This season I decided to branch out and give the Ultra 2 a try, and they have not disappointed. The grip is amazing like all VJ shoes, the fit of the shoe is wide enough in the toe box for me. Not quite as large of toe box as the MaxX, but still really comfortable. Lastly, the quality of the shoe is unlike any other shoe out there.

Love the grippiness of the VJ Ultra! Grips the rocks and boardwalks very well.
Unfortunately for me personally even going a 1/2 size up, there is friction on the outside of my small toes causing blisters. Wish they had a wider toebox.

Comfortable when standing on concrete all day. Stylish and waterproof. Unrivaled traction on slippery floors. The VJ Artix is an ideal shoe for any craft distiller.

These are the best studded winter shoe I've ever worn! They're light for fast runs, but also comfortable and with plenty of cushion so that if I wanted to do a long run in these it would be no problem. I don't feel the studs at all like I've done in other shoes. They feel just like running in any lightweight comfortable shoe, except with more confidence!

Not sure how VJ Shoes continues to improve all of their already amazing shoes / product lines. If you’ve not tried any of them yet - do it today!

These are my third pair. Super comfy for my “challenging” feet. Unfortunately they start to fall apart within 6 months.

Just wanted to say thanks for the awesome shoes:
I hunted for three days across LONG distances in the Lassen foothills in extreme terrain and weather for California Quail wearing my Maxx. They performed SO WELL! Saved my neck with the grip!

I got the shoes 1/2 size larger than what I normally wear, and the toe box is still unbelievably tight. This was the first pair of shoes to ever give me blisters. The very first 4 Mile Run put huge blisters on both my small toes. I have a pair of the MAXx shoes in my regular size, and that toe box is bigger than the Ultra a half size up. The Ultra, from all the marketing I saw, was built for great comfort over longer distances, but I think they are terrible honestly. I'm going to give them one more try with a better pair of socks, but if I get blisters again, I'm just going to sell them and move on to a new brand for long distance.

I'm on my third pair and I will never buy another brand of trail running or OCR shoes.

Lightweight shoe that gives me the confidence to walk on hard packed snow & ice. They have worked great for that but I haven’t tried running with them yet. I’m a little hesitant to run, but there is enough value with a fast waking pace that I’m definitely happy with this purchase even if I stick to treadmill runs.

Love the way the souls don’t stay packed with mud

This boot is so comfortable right out of the box! Super supportive, cushioned and I love wearing them. So far, the grip is everything I would have hoped for from a VJ product - I’m looking forward to our snow storm coming up this weekend!

The thing that I like best about my Sparks is that as an older runner who sometimes runs in the dark these shoes make me feel safer. I’ve done a few trail runs in them but they are my go to shoes on the pavement if there is any dampness.

VJ MAXx are my go to race shoe for anything OCR. Spartan, IMR, OCRWC these have never failed me and always feel great throughout the run. They are versatile, for wet or dry, hot or cold. The ONLY reason it’s not five stars is they don’t make them for wider feet. If the VJ team could start developing a wide variation I’d be like everyone else reviewing them and giving 5 stars.

I have never had such a light weight, comfortable, supportive hiking boot on my feet before Artix!! And so amazing they are waterproof so I can tromp around the snow, water and ice without worrying about cold wet feet!! YAY!! And of course they have that great VJ grip to keep me on my feet and not slipping!! Love Artix!!!

Didn’t mind the stiffness as much as the firmness. Was expecting a little more cushion. Already had the XTRM and wanted something more cushioned. Not as comfy as I’d hoped.

Love these shoes! More space in the toe. Trained in these for Worlds Toughest Mudder 2023. Definitely recommend!

Actually I haven't run really long distances in these shoes yet, but I immediately noticed the fine grip on various trail surfaces. Sneakers are a bit stiff, desirable for a trained foot. But the feet in them are good, comfortable. There is a small minus - these sneakers are a little hot on the feet due to the limited breathability. For hot weather, it may be better to look for another option. In the future I want to buy xtrm2 and icehero

Love these for my runs and walking the dog.

so far so good. ordered a half a size bigger and the fit is spot on. no trail running yet. will be testing in two weeks at the spartan race running the beast and super. and yes, will not break in prior to the race. with the wider toe box, i think i’m good

As I was training for the OCRWC, I had a desire to get lighter, more agile trail shoes for the race. The trail runners I had seemed bulky and that's all I could think about while running. I checked out the VJ XTRM 2's while at the OCRWC, tried them on, jogged around a bit, and fell in love with them. These shoes felt like they wanted to run! In fact, I felt like a deer running in them, as they were so light with a great fit. I purchased them the day before I raced, wore them all day to "break them in," and actually raced in them the following day. I know, that is usually a huge mistake. You don't run in shoes you bought the day before the race! But it all worked out for me as my feet felt so light with superior grip on challenging terrain. I also wore them at the War X OCR which had plenty of water. The VJ XTRM 2's were incredible in the water as well. I look forward to every training trail run now with my VJ XTRM 2's.