VJ Sports

1 thought on “VJ Sports”

  1. gbarrett

    VJ sport Irocks 2
    I have been using Icebug Zeals/Zeals 2 RB9X for the past year plus. However, I decided to switch it up because of a couple major flaws with the Zeals to me, which are drainage and they felt hard on my feet. My search brought me over to try out VJ Sports Irock 2 (the shoe of choice for Jon Albon). In the following review I will have a few comparisons between the Irock 2 to the Icebug Zeal.
    The Look:

    The look of the Irocks was updated this year and gained a little more color. However, they are still not a flashy shoe. They have a printed Irock emblem on the outside ankle with a few red stripes. . If you want flash, go somewhere else. but, I still think they look good.

    The Build:
    The Irock2 has the same drop as the Icebug Zeals at 6mm. So, it was a very easy transition for me to jump over too. They are slightly lighter than the Zeals weighing in at 240 grams whereas the Zeals are 250g. The lugs on the bottom of the shoe vary in length but can be as long as 8mm in length and made of a Butyl Rubber. They are built using Kevlar fiber, which is supposed to make the shoes resist tearing/puntures.

    Fit:
    I wear a size 10 shoe, so that’s what I ordered. They fit great. My feet are relatively average in the width department and they fit nice and snug. IF YOU HAVE A WIDER FOOT I MIGHT GO UP A HALF A SIZE.

    How did they work:
    I have only used my Irock 2’s for about 35 miles so far. I did about 20 miles at Battlfrog New England 2016 and the remaining 15 miles took place in various terrain in New Hampshire – the longest was the 3 sisters summit trails.

    First, these shoes are very comfortable and soft on the feet. My feet never hurt from the lack of cushion on these shoes. This was one major complaint I had when using my Zeals for extending periods of time. The Irocks were far superior in my opinion when it came to the comfort of my feet.
    Grip!!! First, Battlefrog New England was a pretty dry course. However, I felt the Irocks perfomed outstanding on any of the rocks/terrain that were wet. Also, on the three sister summit climb, it rained that day, it was a very slick climb and these shoes did an outstanding job gripping onto the rough and rocky terrain. I never once felt like I was going to lose grip. I felt these compared very similar to the Zeals RB9X in the grip department.

    These shoes drained very well. Once out of the water after a few steps you could see the water just pouring out of the shoes and in no time there was no sloshing water in them. Also, they did not seem to gain an extra weight when wet. I had a terrible time with drainage in my Zeals and I could go miles before I felt water completely out of them. This is definitely a plus for the Irocks.

    I am prefacing the next part of my review by saying that I have broken my right ankle twice and had surgery to repair tendon damage. So, my right ankle is pretty weak. When it comes to ankle stability I feel the Irocks are average. Battlefrog New England was held at Carter and Stevens farm. This farm is relatively flat, however, it has many rocks and pothole to avoid. As I am avoiding these potholes and rocks I had to be very aware of were I was stepping. There were a few times when I tweaked my right ankle. With that said my left ankle had no problem in this terrain with these shoes and felt strong. But, when I wore my Zeals I never thought about this. The Zeals are superior when it comes to ankle support in my opinion. This problem could be solved by wearing an ankle brace that has been recommended by my orthopedic surgeon. If you have never had ankle problems/ankles are reasonably strong, this should not be an issue for you.

    It is too early to tell how these shoes will hold up. However, Jon Albon went through 4 pairs of Irocks in a year while running over 3500km or 2175 miles. That means he puts on an average of 540 miles per pair. If my shoes can hold up this long, then I will be extremely happy.

    In conclusion, I highly recommend the Irock 2’s. I wish they had a little bit more support in the ankles, but they are very comfortable, stick to everything, drain really fast, and seem to be a very durable shoe. If they can add a some more ankle stability on the next update then I think these would be a perfect OCR shoe.

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