The VJ Lightspeed. All photographs: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
The VJ Lightspeed ($200) is likely one of the most appropriately named footwear my ft have ever met. Additionally, it is likely one of the narrowest, which aptly aligns with the shoe’s mission: to run quick and lightweight over difficult terrain. It was designed for seasoned path runners and athletes who can steer the paths with nimble quickness and management. This shoe is a racer. After I slipped them on for the primary time, I felt gentle, bouncy, and speedy — relative phrases, after all — however I felt athletic. It could have had one thing to do with the shoe having a very gentle precise weight of 8.4 ounces (238 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9.
The VJ Lightspeed affords developments and adjustments to the model’s conventional line-up. It’s sturdy from prime to backside, with the acclaimed superior outsole grip that outperforms virtually each different path shoe. It makes use of a brand new supercritical foam within the midsole and has a forked propulsion plate, pushing it to be much more of a tour de power. This shoe doesn’t fall into the plush and extremely cushioned class however affords a really snug and responsive experience. It has whole stack heights of 29 millimeters and 23 millimeters on the heel and toe, giving it a 6-millimeter drop.
I lately had the chance to lace them up and soar right into a race on my favourite hometown path. The Chubb Path Race 25k, held exterior St. Louis, Missouri, is each mildly technical within the hills and easy and quick alongside the river. General, these footwear hit the mark on the robust and demanding terrain. They had been the proper alternative for a tough 15-mile assured push.
The shoe actually lights up the afterburners and reveals its greatest self with a managed midfoot-to-forefoot touchdown. It may well deal with a heel-to-toe touchdown however requires proprioceptive talent, power, and management.
In contrast to different VJ fashions, it is suggested that you simply go along with your common shoe measurement for these. VJ has had some points with their shoe sizing; thus, perform a little analysis if you’re contemplating buying one other mannequin. I nonetheless ran in a half-size up from my regular measurement with no points. I desire and want additional toebox room in narrower and extra aggressive footwear. Just like different VJ fashions, except their winter-specific coaching footwear, the Lightspeed solely is available in a unisex mannequin.
VJ Lightspeed Higher
A lateral view of the VJ Lightspeed.
Whereas substantial and due consideration has been given to the grippy outsole of the VJ Lightspeed, it’s value noting that the higher is one other space the place designers have employed the keenest of fabric science analysis. The shoe steps away from the engineered mesh to a sturdy and absolutely built-in wrapped higher, which could be very robust and surprisingly thick for such a lightweight and speed-oriented shoe. Nonetheless, it duly protects.
One concern could also be its breathability in the course of the hotter months, a component that wasn’t gauged since I logged miles in these footwear within the winter and spring. The thick Kevlar-based material is extremely versatile and protects in opposition to sharp components of an unpredictable path whereas including heat on chilly mornings. The within of the higher seems like delicate felt. Regardless of the shoe’s blade-like match and slim toebox, my ft didn’t really feel constrained, largely as a result of the higher materials nonetheless allowed for toe motion. I skilled no undesirable rubbing or scorching spots. This shoe was constructed off a really slender final.
The higher is white with intermittent wind-like grey traces and purple dashes sweeping from the toe to the heel. It has a thick toe bumper however is much less protecting than the unique VJ fashions. The designers greater than doubtless weighed the advantages of an total extra sturdy higher with the burden prices of a strengthened rubber toe and medial and lateral embossments. The outside heel cup is fortified with solely a modicum extra of bumper safety, but it surely gives agency lockdown assist.
The laces are huge and lengthy sufficient for a double knot with endurance. Or, if desired, there are two extra lace holes on the ankle joint. As soon as these laces are tied, the semi-gusseted tongue stays firmly in place. The tongue is constructed minimally with a delicate felt underlayment and a mix of open mesh and skinny, gentle rubber on the prime.
Like all different VJ footwear, the Lightspeed comes geared up with the proprietary FitLock midsole wrap. Merely acknowledged, FitLock is roughly an inch-and-a-half huge, malleable-but-stiff piece of thermoplastic on the medial instep that extends up from the midsole to the laces. For swift motion over unpredictable terrain, it improves midfoot management and stability — particularly for the reason that shoe is slender on the mid-step and heel.
VJ Lightspeed Midsole
A medial view of the VJ Lightspeed.
One of many most important variations between the VJ Lightspeed and another model fashions is the development in midsole foam and plate know-how. This marked shift locations VJ in competitors with different high-performing path footwear, navigating the nuances and science of froth, consolation, assist, and vitality return.
The midsole is constructed with the model’s new SuperFOAMance materials. It’s a complicated supercritical foam that’s considerably extra sturdy, lighter, and extra propulsive than most conventional EVA or Poron-enhanced foams. It’s a nitrogen-infused EVA and thermoplastic unit mix that’s rip-resistant. The distinction is critical and welcomed for a snug and enduring experience. I can’t reiterate sufficient that the midsole is cushioned, however not overwhelmingly so. A safe connection to the bottom just isn’t misplaced.
The SuperFOAMance affords the runner ample rebound for continued endurance and powerful kicks throughout the spectrum of operating gears, noticeably enhanced by an built-in propulsion plate. This units the tone for a speedy expertise. The Y-shaped propulsion plate is constituted of renewable castor oil. VJ says the branched plate affords sideways flexibility for higher responsiveness on uneven terrain.
The Lightspeed has a built-in rocker from the lateral heel to toeoff. As talked about within the introduction, if the runner isn’t geared up to regulate the foot via the gait cycle, it could be a difficult shoe to run in. The rocker design, superior midsole, and propulsion plate all promote quicker operating with extra total stability geared toward midfoot to forefoot landings. Slower operating with a heel-strike stride is totally doable, however the noticeable rocker and enhanced pronation are palpable.
VJ Lightspeed Outsole
The outsole of the VJ Lightspeed.
The VJ Lightspeed outsole affords the superior grip of the model’s butyl-rubber-based materials. As I do in each VJ evaluation, I like so as to add that the Finnish firm has invariably succeeded in residing as much as its motto of offering the “greatest grip on the planet.”
The Lightspeed has stepped down the aggressiveness of the outsole through the use of shallower 3.5-millimeter square-shaped lugs. This makes the outsole extra amenable to a wider swath of underfoot circumstances, however it may possibly nonetheless sort out technical areas with fast, managed confidence. Particularly, the much less aggressive lug top, smaller lug measurement, and slender outsole slits on the forefoot — presumably for ahead and lateral flexibility — mixed with the brand new supercritical foam make this shoe extra palatable and extra satisfying on more durable surfaces. I did discover that the outsole of the Lightspeed is rather less vulcanized — for lack of a greater time period — than different fashions, which permits for elevated flexibility however makes it vulnerable to put on quicker.
VJ Lightspeed General Impressions
A prime view of the VJ Lightspeed.
The totality of the VJ Lightspeed initially took me unexpectedly. I stood at my door, hesitant for the inaugural run forward. The entire shoe felt slightly overseas, aside from the sturdy higher. However as I began my run, I felt gentle, bouncy, and speedy. Concurrently, I felt excited to maneuver, and an awesome sense of athleticism sprang up from my ft into my core. This isn’t hyperbole. VJ has expanded its assortment with this shoe. I’m assured the opposite fashions will maintain their niches whereas the Lightspeed will step into its personal as a speed-focused shoe.
Its growth and design open extra doorways to runners in search of a VJ expertise — the Lightspeed is a singular entry level into Finnish fineness. It pushes the agenda on quick and technical trails, however with its added cushion and important rebound, it may possibly additionally swiftly navigate rock slabs, hard-packed trails, and a modicum of pavement. The SuperFOAMance midsole and forked propulsion plate balanced by the FitLock system improve this efficiency.
Each expertise I’ve had with a VJ path operating shoe mannequin has been distinctive and easily enjoyable, and this one is not any exception.
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