Can the Tarkine Bandicoot crash through our toughest trail tests?

Introduction to the Tarkine Bandicoot

MARIA: I had never heard of the Aussie brand Tarkine before, which made it even more exciting to explore the quirks and features of the Bandicoot. It’s a lightweight road-to-trail shoe with a springy eTPU midsole, a Global Recycled Standard (GRS) mesh upper, and enough versatility to tackle both speedy miles and longer efforts. On paper, it’s the ultimate do-it-all hybrid shoe, but does it actually live up to that promise? I’ll get to that below.

A key characteristic of the Bandicoot, and Tarkine as a whole, is the brand’s focus on protecting nature and prioritizing sustainability. That mission carries into the design of the shoe rather than feeling like an afterthought. The Bandicoot feels well thought out, purposeful, and built to handle a surprisingly wide range of runs and terrains.

JOHN: The only Tarkine shoes I’ve reviewed are the Trail Devil and Trail Devil 2, and I’m currently reviewing the third version. They’ve always been some of my favorite trail shoes, and I’ve definitely been lobbying Believe in the Run to review other shoes Tarkine makes (thank you), so I’m very excited to test the Bandicoot.

Also, it came to me at a perfect time. I took a bad beat at Jigger Johnson last weekend. I’m okay; I lived to fight another day, but I’m going to take it easy this week leading up to the weekend. I’ll be using the Bandicoot all week on local trails of varying terrain, including road, gravel, dirt, and some technical stuff, so I’ll get a really good feel for how versatile the Bandicoot is. Out of the box, I’m very impressed with the style and innovation but curious about the outsole.

This was an interesting review, and I feel like it highlights just how specific gear can be. Somewhere along the way, I was visited by the ghost of shoe reviews past and forced to reconsider a shoe I thought I’d never talk about again. When you’re a reviewer, you really have to put some personal bias aside. Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways to correct the wrongs you made in past reviews.

RENEE: The Bandicoot was an interesting shoe to review. John’s not wrong there. I’ve reviewed hundreds of shoes over the past years, and I had to dig through my shoe log to find comparisons. A shoe with ground feel and a nice eTPU midsole sounds delicious, and I enjoyed my miles in this shoe.

That said, figuring out what the shoe is for and who will enjoy the shoe is a real head-scratcher. Honestly, I’m still not sure, but maybe by the time I finish writing, I’ll have it magically figured out.

What we like about the Tarkine Bandicoot

MARIA: I was sent the Midnight Blue colorway, and while the Bandicoot is packed with features and little fun details, I like that the overall design stays pretty minimalistic. Zooming in on the midsole, you’ll find phrases like ‘Bush Basher Traction’ and ‘Commit to the Grit.’ They feel like little hidden mantras stashed away in the shoe. Sneaky! It’s a fun touch on an otherwise clean-looking design.

That minimalist feel carries over into the ride. The Bandicoot is impressively light and nimble. It has a stable, connected ground feel without an aggressive rocker or a huge stack of cushioning lifting the foot far off the ground. Coming off the road and hopping onto singletrack trails, I was surprised by how stable the shoe felt, even when the ground became a bit more uneven. There’s enough cushioning to keep it comfortable while still allowing me to feel the ground underneath my feet. For a road-to-trail shoe, that is a great balance. It doesn’t feel overly built for either the trails or the road, which makes the transition between the two very natural.

Stepping into the Bandicoot, the eTPU foam feels soft underfoot, and the upper wraps the foot comfortably. The fit is slightly snugger through the midfoot before opening up toward the forefoot, allowing room for the toes to splay. For my higher-volume foot, that combination works really well.

The heel is noticeably roomy and heavily padded. The padding creates a soft, comfortable fit and reduces the risk of any pressure points around the heel or ankle. Runners who want tighter heel lockdown also have the option of using the extra eyelet for a runner’s knot, which gives the lacing system some flexibility depending on foot shape and preference. Personally, I like having that option rather than being forced into an overly tight or structured heel from the start.

The GRS-certified mesh upper is lightweight and breathable while still feeling durable. Instead of a material heavily reinforced from top to bottom, there are sections of the upper with a more open mesh to allow plenty of airflow and help moisture escape, which is something I appreciate when running in hot conditions.

The same approach carries into the toe box. There’s a thin reinforced layer across the front to provide light protection from when a toe inevitably finds a rock to kick; something I’ve experienced a few times too many. It’s thin enough to give some protection, without adding too much weight or making the shoe bulky. If this were a shoe built for rocky mountains, I’d have wished for a bit more protection, but that isn’t the point of the Bandicoot. For a lightweight hybrid shoe, it really hits the mark.

So far, the versatility has been one of my favorite things about the shoe. It is the perfect balance between something I’d reach for on either a road or trail run. It’s also an easy choice when I just want to get out the door without knowing exactly what type of run is waiting.

JOHN: The absolute biggest reason to give this shoe a go is if you’re a fan of lightweight trail shoes that aren’t overly minimal. It has enough shoe underfoot to stay comfortable while still feeling light and quick.

The lace stash pocket on the tongue is amazing. It’s one of those things you see and immediately wonder, why hasn’t everyone done this? It’s almost like a Salomon setup but with regular laces. The laces are also those grippy-style laces similar to what you find on shoes like the Alphafly, my favorite. The tongue is a little bigger to facilitate the lace pocket, so I’m curious what my fellow reviewers think about it. I really like it, but I could see how others might not.

The fit for me is perfect. The US M11.5 gives my feet plenty of room, and I had absolutely no blistering or foot problems while testing this shoe. The comfort surprised me, too. For such a lightweight shoe, it never felt overly stripped down or minimal.

In my opinion, Tracksmith has the best-looking shoes in the game right now, but Tarkine has dropped some mind-blowing colorways and designs. I mention Tracksmith because the Bandicoot gives me some of that same vibe with the all-white colorway and gold pull tab. It’s clean, preppy, and wants to get dirty!

RENEE: I have the same colorway as Maria, and I agree it’s a good-looking shoe. The Bandicoot’s immediately apparent assets are its ground feel, light weight, and nimble qualities. In the mix of high-stack trail shoes and gravel shoes that have dramatic rockers, the Bandicoot offers a more traditional ride. I wore the shoe for speed workouts, including hill repeats and a fartlek in the mud.

Having the ground connection was great, and the eTPU midsole has just enough cushion and responsiveness to complement the ground feel. Maria mentions the heel lockdown, and by using the top eyelet, I was able to get a solid fit around my narrow heel.

What we don’t like about the Tarkine Bandicoot

MARIA: Although a roomy fit usually is something I’d list under the positives, the overall shape of the Bandicoot feels slightly odd on my high-volume foot. The combination of a significantly roomier heel, snugger midfoot, and roomy forefoot makes the fit a little different than I’m used to. It isn’t uncomfortable, but it does feel slightly odd.

My heel is fairly average in width, and even after trying the runner’s knot, I still experienced a small amount of heel movement. The extra lockdown mostly solved the issue on flat terrain and roads, but I could still feel my heel shifting slightly once I moved onto more uneven terrain. It never caused any hot spots or discomfort, but I would have liked a bit more support through the heel.

The tongue also feels a bit over-padded compared to the otherwise light upper. It’s fairly long, and while the length and padding add to the comfort, I think a slightly more minimal tongue would fit the character of the shoe a bit better.

For a shoe made with uptempo and speed in mind, I would have loved a slightly more pronounced rocker for smooth trails and road miles. The Bandicoot feels energetic, but the flatter geometry requires a little more effort to pick up the pace compared to a shoe with a more aggressive rocker. That flatter geometry likely plays a role in the stability that I enjoy on the trail, so this is more of a trade-off than a true negative.

JOHN: What is this shoe? I wrote about this in my last review of the Kailas Fuga EX 3, but the Bandicoot’s lugs aren’t grippy enough (for me), even on some medium trails in my area. It’s in a weird trail shoe territory where I may just opt for road shoes instead.

That’s not to say this shoe isn’t fun. I had a great time using it on local trails. Also, I really think the Bandicoot is a worthwhile shoe in the Tarkine lineup, but at a cost of $170, I’m going to toss out two possible alternatives and one comparison. We’ve got the Mount to Coast H1 and the iconic Hoka Challenger, and to me, out of the shoes I’ve run in, the Bandicoot reminds me a lot of the Hoka Zinal 2.

So, if you are looking for a speedy, lightweight trail shoe, in my opinion, this is very niche gear. But I’ve used the Zinal 2 at the Marine Corps 17.75K, some trail half marathons (I can’t stand this distance; the ultrarunner in me just hates myself for doing that distance), and weird shorter-distance trail races where you are trying to run faster times. I’ve done surprisingly well at some of those races in the Zinal 2, and I believe that’s where the Bandicoot will work well too.

Why do I have this all in the “things I don’t like” category? If I’m on a trail, I’m usually doing a longer ultra just trying to survive. I don’t like running fast on trails. This shoe is for the roadie who runs trails. You know who you are, and there’s no shame. I find myself there from time to time, but again, I’d rather just suffer through longer distances on technical terrain in the middle to back of the pack.

One big difference between the Zinal 2 and Bandicoot is that the Bandicoot does not have a Vibram outsole. I don’t hate the grip on the Bandicoot, but I did slip some, even on mildly technical trails. With that said, the Zinal 3 also shifted away from Vibram, which I find fascinating.

RENEE: Everything John wrote. Everything. What is this shoe? I don’t know! I wish I had an answer.

To echo my fellow reviewers, the Bandicoot isn’t exactly the road-to-trail shoe it’s marketed as. For gravel or mellow trails, the traditional geometry and low stack are good for short miles. While “short miles” depends on the runner, I found myself running no more than 8 miles in the shoe at a time.

When running speed intervals, the stack and geometry feel great, but the eTPU feels less cushioned than I would like for actual trail running. And then we have those lugs. The small lugs make sense for a road-to-trail shoe, but the stack and geometry of the shoe don’t. For hill repeats and sharp turns, especially in some mud, the shoe needs at least 3mm lugs to be comparable to other options. I’d reach for The North Face Vectiv Sky 2 over this shoe, even for gravel road running. The long tongue offers a lace garage, but it looks a bit too long. A shorter and thinner tongue would improve the foot hold for me, as someone with a low-volume foot. Initially, the shoe felt like a fell running shoe. But, without bigger lugs, the shoe isn’t useful there.

The stated drop is 6mm, but it felt like 8 to 10mm to me. The heel sits up high, and I’m not sure whether it’s the density of the midsole under the heel or if the 6mm drop is dramatic rather than gradual. I love a 6mm drop shoe for daily running, and I don’t mind a high drop for speed work. If you don’t like high drop shoes, here’s your warning. The drop feels higher.

Final thoughts on the Tarkine Bandicoot

MARIA: The Bandicoot ended up being a solid introduction to Tarkine. Going into this review, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the shoe quickly proved that its do-it-all label is well earned. It feels light and energetic while still being comfortable enough for the long efforts. Add in Tarkine’s focus on sustainability, and there’s a lot to like here.

For someone looking for one shoe that can comfortably move between anything from road, gravel to trail, the Bandicoot makes a strong case for itself. It’s versatile, fun, and easy to reach for when I don’t really know where the run will take me.

JOHN: As you can gather, this shoe isn’t really my thing, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad shoe. I actually like the Bandicoot a lot and respect what Tarkine has done here. For me, it’s niche gear: the lugs aren’t aggressive enough for the trails I typically run. It makes the most sense for faster, shorter-distance trail runs and races, which I generally detest doing. At $170, that specialization also makes it hard for me to justify.

I said many of the same things about the Zinal 2, and looking back, I probably should have given that shoe more love. Believe in the Run named it the Best Lightweight Trail Shoe of 2023 despite our critiques about fit and how niche it was. I actually prefer the Bandicoot’s fit and comfort, and if you loved the Zinal 2 but feel like the Zinal 3 moved away from what you liked about it, I think the Bandicoot could fill that void.

RENEE: I’m confused by the Tarkine Bandicoot. I ran fast intervals and speed workouts in the shoe, so it’s not all bad news. The shoe has great ground feel, a responsive eTPU midsole, and it’s light. For the price, I’d like a shoe that’s more trail ready. The lugs aren’t big enough to offer traction when running fast on single track or any terrain with loose dirt, mud, or gravel. And for mellow terrain, the midsole doesn’t have enough cushion or stack to be comparable to the numerous road-to-trail shoes on the market. You really have to want a low stack, traditional ride to get enough use out of this roughly $170 shoe. And while I trash talk it, I’m reminded that I ran well with it. I guess I wanted more versatility.

You can pick up the Tarkine Bandicoot for $176 from Tarkine by using the buttons below.