Technology
Orienteering has changed a lot during the past few years and orienteering shoes need to keep up with this progress. City sprint and long distance require different shoes. However, the three basic demands for orienteering shoes still remain:
LIGHTNESS, GRIP, PROTECTION
”What in my shoes is important to me?
The number one point is the weight. It is crucial to have the lightest possible shoes to gain some extra seconds.
Then it comes to the grip. I need strong grip in the front part of the sole. That is why I am using spikes. If you are running aggressively, you are running moer on your toes. But you also need good grip in the back part for downhill running.
And finally, you also need to know that your feet are well protected. This is a part where the new Vjs are especially good, because usually it adds too much weight to the shoes. Not this time. You can be sure that a branch or a stone will not hurt you during the race. It´s really important to feel secure when you are running at full speed on an uneven ground."
-Thierry Gueorgiou
Schoeller® – Keprotec® is made using only the highest-quality materials. Bold and Irock fabric also contains Kevlar®, an armide fiber which, gram for gram, is five times stronger than steel. Using the most modern production technology, the various components are processed to a fabric construction which ensures extreme tear resistance, highest rub-proofing and perfect heat-friction resistance. The result: thinner materials, less weight.
Schoeller® - Keprotec® material provides special characters for wet conditions. The material itself is waterproof. The morning dew stays outside of the shoe. If water comes in from the throat, it will be pumped out through the seams causing vacuum-efect. So the upper follows the shape of the foot even closer and this keeps the amount of water inside the shoe the smallest possible.
FITLOCK-system was one of VJ's season 2010 novelties. FITLOCK gives the arch strong support and the shoes is like a sock. The rubber material of FITLOCK protects inside of your feet against punches from beneath.
Revolutionary comfort. Never before has there been heel and forefoot cushioning in orienteering shoes. Big microfibre-urethane cushioning units, inside torsion support and molded insole. That's what we call KvamO.
Superior Contact -outsole. Bending lateral grooves under forefoot make the front of the shoe sensitive. Classic shape of dobbs offers the highest pointed pressure to the ground and the best grip. The open outsole profile does not gather mud or clay. VJ Traction Ridges help when the weather is very wet and muddy. And of course the icing on the cake are the VJ metal studs with hardmetal top.
The Duotech text in VJ's midsole is telling you, that the inner side of the wedge is made of higher density foam than the rest of the midsole. Dense material on the inner side of the wedge makes the shoe more durable. Despite this all VJ orienteering shoes can be categorized as fairly neutral shoes.
For season 2011 one of VJ's novelties is StarStud, the entirely new multi-edged metal stud. It is lighter but still has better grip than ever before. The grip doesn't get any better than this without spikes.
The outsole material of Sticky is known as Sticky Rubber. Traditionally the weak spot of studless shoes are wet rocks and roots. You can imagine the difference between shoes with and without metal studs if you have been driving a car with both studded and studless winter tyres. You can manage well with the studless tyres, you just have to be more careful and think ahead. Because Sticky's outsole material is very soft the grip is surprisingly good in all conditions.
In VJ's new studless shoe, Irock, the outsole material is made of butyl rubber. According tests made by our test runners the grip is the best you can have without metal studs. The trade-off is it wears out quicker.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR VJ'S
Orienteering shoes should always be washed immediately after use. Do not leave wet shoes in a plastic bag.
- open the laces and remove inner soles to allow proper cleaning and drying
- clean off bulk of dirt by hand
- hand wash shoes with very mild detergent
- water temperature must not exceed 30°C
- let shoes dry up in normal room temperature
- do not dry shoes on a radiator or in direct sunlight