Whether you’ve been a long time fan of the Tarkine Trail Devils or you’ve never heard of them before, this shoe is by far a premium runner and deserves recognition.
The run down
Lightweight, responsive, and filled with support, runners who bought a single pair have become instant fans of the Tarkines and never looked back.
Tarkine is the newest and fastest growing running shoe brand developed out of Western Australia, and their high-tech product has been selling like wildlife since about 2021-22 for an incredibly large variety of athlete – from serious and elite runners, to everyday joggers and lifestyle wearers.
It also says something when their sponsored athletes include names like Phil Gore, Erchana Murray-Bartlett and Joshua Chugg, all of whom have been featured in previous editions of TRM.
But onto the tech specs and the review of the Tarkine Trail Devils.
Tech and specs
With a huge stack height of 33mm (forefoot) and 39mm (heel), the Trail Devils are an incredible fit and are definitely true-to-size. I love not having to go into a shop physically and trying on shoes to see if they fit well and the Tarkines are a brand you can purchase easily online, knowing they’ll be exactly what you’re looking for.
Cushioning is premium thanks to a padded heel counter, the ZenFoam midsole provided me with bounce and softness while at the same time reducing foot fatigue, and with a wide toebox my little piggies had a great amount of breathing space as they began to settle into a splay. These shoes screamed comfortability the moment I put them on – I was ready for any technical trail.
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On the outside, the Trail Devils have some sweet rocker geometry happening for more efficient racing, and the lugs are 3.5mm in depth with a robust tread pattern – this gave me incredible grip on pea gravel during times when I thought I’d be slipping and sliding on the downhills (I’ve bum-planted way too many times for my liking). The extra high toe cap region provided that extra security to protect my toes from fallen trail debris like sticks, roots and flying pebbles, and when it came to the upper, it gave great lockdown due to a brilliant bungy-like recycled lace (I always give double points for a bungy lace), keeping each foot secure whilst opening to the wide toebox as mentioned earlier.
It’s my belief that trail shoes always work best with thin tongues, but I acknowledge there are some people who are unable to handle the lace pressure. The Trail Devils feature a beautifully thin tongue that minimises weight, yet is incredibly soft so for me, the feature is top notch and allowed me to run at optimum when I was going for speed.
Any improvements?
One of the only things I think Tarkine could consider is including a hidden flap of velcro to the back of the heel counter for those wanting to use gaitors, but if that’s the only suggestion I can give, the Trail Devils are freakin’ flying.
Other than the actual technicality and technology of the shoe, one of my favourite things about Tarkine is the company’s Return To Tarkine recycling program – which is exactly as it sounds. Worn your Tarkines to their absolute end point and are ready for a new pair? Return them to the Tarkine warehouse in O’Connor, WA so that they can be recycled into things like bags, rubber mats, yoga mats and fabric.
That’s not all though. Tarkine values environmental responsibility, and promises tat 2% of every sale, indefinitely, is donated to help save some of the world’s most wild and sacred places (1% of all revenue every month goes to the Bob Foundation, and 1% of all revenue every month goes to For Wild Places).
Please remember too, that the Tarkine Trail Devils are a sexy-looking shoe, so make sure you use them to their full advantage at races and group runs where you can show them off, talk them up, and match your running gear to their colours – available in Black-Purple, Black-Pink, Black-Green and Black-Blue for both men and women.
It’s time to worship the Tarkine Trail Devils and bring everyone you know to the darkside.
To learn more about Tarkine’s range head to their website.
THE LOW DOWN
GREAT FOR: All technicality, all terrain
NOT SO GREAT FOR: Flat pavement, cement
TEST CONDITIONS: Single track, crushed gravel, pea gravel, grass
TESTER: Kate Dzienis
TESTER MECHANICS: Severe overpronator with wide feet
VITALS
RRP: $240.00 AUD
WEBSITE: tarkine.com
CONDITIONS: Shoes (Black-Pink) provided for testing by Tarkine
