VJ Flow Review: Are We Feelin’ This Flow?

Introduction to the VJ Flow

TAYLOR: There has been a rise from within. The running industry, as we know it, is one of the coolest examples of a free marketplace where many small, more niche brands can thrive alongside the juggernauts that have always been.

VJ is a great example of that. Even before this current shoe boom, they had been schleppin’ shoes with a more specific premise. The founders were not satisfied with the landscape of shoes that promised “grip, fit, and durability.” So, they developed their own. With the help of ingredients like their famous butyl rubber outsoles, Fit-lock system, and woven kevlar uppers, they were able to approach each aspect directly.

Now that we’re in 2025, I’m happy to say VJ has evolved with its premise. Shoes like the MAXx 2, Lightspeed, and Spark all have a unique feel yet contain the components necessary to still hold their design principles and values close. With that being said, the VJ Flow is one of the shoes that looks and feels the most different within their fleet. It falls into that road-to-trail category that really requires some versatility.

What we like about the VJ Flow

TAYLOR: Immediately when I laced this shoe up, I could tell a large part of the VJ Flow design premise was comfort. From top to bottom, it was a much softer experience than I have ever felt in a VJ shoe.

The one-piece mesh upper set the stage for this, as it was breathable and pliable. It is jacquard-ish, and it felt that way surrounding the foot in terms of overall comfort. The minimal overlays allowed for a more flexible and softer experience up top than any other VJ shoe.

The tongue/lacing chain region and heel counter gave the running shoe a more traditional feel because of the structure and padding they provided for the overall fit. I have never thought of VJ as “traditional,” but this is the closest they have come. A fellow Scandinavian company, Icebug, also released a road-to-trail shoe called the Järv RB9X that had a similar feeling of comfort because of these additions.

A roomy, anatomically shaped toe box, similar to that of the VJ Ultra 3, also ushered in comfort. The extra wiggle room was noticeable and felt very much like the Altra Outroad or Topo Athletic Runventure 4 — it was generous but not swimmingly. I’ll admit that it didn’t always work out perfectly, but I quite liked it a lot of the time.

VJ has really found a nice new foam in the SuperFOAMance midsole. We saw its debut in the VJ MAXx 2 and Lightspeed, but I think the version found in the VJ Flow seemed lighter and cushier than before. An eTPU supercritical foam isn’t hard to find these days, but it always feels comfortable. The ride itself took on a fairly soft feel that was pleasing on a lot of terrain. A moderate sense of stability and responsiveness accompanied comfort, too. The foam itself is one of the standout features of this shoe for sure.

A couple of other nice features were the protection provided by the overall stack (35/25 mm stack), a mild forefoot rocker, and a 10 mm drop that motivated my forward motion. VJ seems to have had design inspiration from many realms of running for a do-it-all shoe.

There’s no doubt that VJ’s consistent performer, the butyl rubber outsole with 4.5 mm lugs, would be the star of the show. It simply rocks in terms of tacky grip and durability. Even after gravel, trail, and road miles, the lugs look untouched.

Overall, this is quite a lightweight package with a variety of ingredients, and the VJ Flow fits true to size.

What we don’t like about the VJ Flow

TAYLOR: While all the ingredients of the VJ Flow were pleasing, a unique combination of features caused me some issues. The problem derives from the steeper 10 mm drop (which is rare these days), but the broader toe box and supple upper exacerbate it.

I found that downhills and even flats (on the road and trails) would leave my toes crunched in the toe box. The lack of foothold through the midfoot allowed my foot to continually flood the forefoot. This is one of the very reasons why I don’t think we’ll often see anatomically shaped toe boxes with a high heel/toe drop.

If you drop the Flow to a 4-6 mm differential, I really think it would solve the problem and make this a solid road-to-trail option. A steep drop isn’t the way to win over road runners; midsole geometry and underfoot sensation are.

As one can imagine, the softer upper didn’t perform wonderfully on trails either. It could handle the light stuff and gravel road, but I lacked confidence in anything more technical than that.

If your typical runs lack undulation and you need Achilles relief via the high drop, these could work for you. I could also see runners with a high-volume heel and midfoot being okay. To me, this is a pretty dire combination.

…. I told myself I wasn’t going to comment on aesthetics, but the black-on-black that I got just doesn’t work in this case. That Sand colorway, though, that looks real nice, Clark.

Final thoughts on the VJ Flow

TAYLOR: VJ stepped out with a new model in the road-to-trail category. I love seeing them try new things and almost go rogue with this model (compared to their past offerings).

While the ingredients are comfortable and quality in the VJ Flow, I can’t ignore the elephant sitting at my feet here. I think this option can work for some specific sets of runners, but I think a brief visit to the drawing board would be required to make it a crowd-pleaser.

You can pick up the VJ Flow for $160 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.