Vasque Velocity 2.0 – Shoe Review

The Vasque Velocity 2.0 ($120) stayed true to the hiking shoe roots with integrated lightweight breathability of a running shoe. The shoe has an aggressive outsole and reduced upper with a removed medial post making it a more neutral cushioned shoe. It has the needed protection from any rocks that may jump into your path.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

It is a very nice looking shoe. It also comes in grey and yellow (lemon).

VERY AGGRESSIVE OUTSOLE

VERY BREATHABLE UPPER

TRAIL TESTING RESULTS

The Velocity 2.0 is a well cushioned shoe. It is a cushioned neutral shoe. It was a bit too cushioned for my taste, but I can see why others may enjoy this well cushioned ride. It has a wide and roomy toe box for those needing a wider shoe. NOTE: The grey/yellow (lemon) colored version (Men’s ONLY) comes in wider widths, but I don’t think you will need it. With the roomy toe box, I noticed the top of the right shoe rubbing my toes during the push-off motion. I did not have any blisters in dry and wet conditions. This was a minor annoyance, but I believe this was an isolated incident with this sample test pair.

The shoe performed well on long and short runs and in wet and dry conditions. The shoe seemed to drain very well with the improved upper meshing (see photo above in the INITIAL IMPRESSION Section).

I decide to test the evaporation rate in my “lab” (i.e., at home). I soaked the right shoe in water for 5 minutes; removed the shoe from the water; dumped out the remaining water in the shoe; and let it “drain” for 1 hour and 30 minutes at room temperature (i.e., out of the water and suspended). I then weighed the shoe. After the initial weigh-in, I let the shoe dry for another 2 hours at room temperature. After the 2 hours, I weighed the shoe again. Knowing the weight, time, and density of water at room temperature, I calculated an “evaporation rate”. However, the numbers would not mean much to most reviewers so I devised a “scale” and rating.

During the evaporation test, the Velocity 2.0 tested as a “Good” rating.

TECH SPECS

• Toe Measurement – 21 mm
• Heal Measurement – 36 mm
• Drop – 15 mm
• Non-gusseted tongue
• Neutral Cushioned
• Rock Plate
• Midsole – EVA
• Upper – Nylon/Synthetic
• Made In – China

The weight breakdown is below.

CONCLUSION

The new lighter and improved upper is a great update to the Velocity 2.0.  If you like a well cushioned neutral shoe, this will meet your expectations. With the aggressive outsole, it was not an issue on muddy sections of the trail. The shoe drained well after stream crossings with good evaporation (tested off-trail). Again, one thing to note is that it does have a roomy toe box. The Velocity 2.0 also comes in a Gortex version ($150) for those winter months when stream crossings may not be an issue.