This wasn’t a bad soft, but it was softer than most trail shoes. Hell, it’s softer on step-in than most road shoes I’ve tested. I’m all for a cushy midsole, but sometimes they can spell instability. Here, luckily, there’s none of that, and VJ treats us to a perfectly soft and responsive trail midsole. It’s fun, bouncy, and the slight rocker geometry makes running in the Ultra 3 feel fast and nimble. The VJ SuperFOAMance foam eased in after about 15 miles, and took on a more aggressive feel that feels less soft and more like pure comfort on the run.
I mentioned above that I was thrilled to be able to include VJ’s outsole rubber in the outsole rankings, which take up brain space I should be using for other things (like more Indiana Jones quotes). It’s really killer stuff. It’s so sticky that it plucks at smooth floors when you walk and pulls at your skin when you press and lift a finger from it, but it’s as durable as that perpetual Energizer bunny.
I think I have over 30 or 40 miles in this shoe, including a few road miles, and there is no outsole wear at all. It sheds mud just fine and grips without fail on every surface I could find. I jumped up and down on wobbly wet rocks without a single slip. So, you’ll find VJ’s Superior Contact in the top tier of my outsole rankings, to be sure.
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