Walking Equipment and Accessories

AKU Rocket DFS GTX Hiking Shoes | Review

A versatile hiking shoe with grippy lugs and an innovative lacing system. Here’s how AKU’s Rocket DFS GTX shoes held up during our tests.

Italian brand AKU are world-renowned for their specialist mountain footwear. Most recently, we’ve tested models such as the Trekker Lite III, and the Link GTX, and have been very impressed. This time round we’ve been testing the Rocket DFS GTX hiking shoes in the wilds of North Wales. Specifically, I’ve been out with the Outdoors Magic team for a week of gear testing in Eryri National Park. I really put the Rockets through their paces in and around the Rhinogydd as well as some trails in the Cambrian Mountains towards the south. Including a yellow weather warning and just about every type of terrain Wales has to offer. Here’s how I got on.

To see how it compares with the competition, check out our article on the best walking shoes for women.

Our Top Line on the AKU Rocket DFS shoes

Designed as a low-cut fast hiking shoe, the Rocket DFS shoes are choc-a-bloc full of details and I’ve liked what they bring to the table. They use AKU’s impressive Dual Fit System (DFS) coupled with the Elica Natural Slide System to create a dynamic shoe that’s suitable for a variety of terrains and activities. They’re ideal for three-season trail hiking and they’ll handle some light scrambling too.

Buy The AKU Rocket DFS GTX: £180 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

I tested the AKU Rocket DFS shoes on a mixed variety of terrain and weather types.

Key Features

Dual Fit System: This is a double lacing system that couples a traditional lace for comfy walking with a fast lacing toggle system to increase sensitivity on climbs and ascents. It allows you to essentially refine the fit at the bottom of the shoe and then at the top.

Grippy outsole: Vibram Megagrip combines with Vibram Rocket Traction lugs create an outsole you can rely on. Like most shoes, however, it has its limits on wet and greasy rocks.

Comfy footbed: The partially recycled Ortholite hybrid footbed provides comfort while not removing too much feel for the trail.

Lightweight: At 310g per shoe, these are surprisingly lightweight shoes considering the amount of tech involved.

Durability: I’ve found the Rocket shoes to be super abrasion resistant thanks to the 3D overlay at the rear and the crossed rib patterning throughout.

What Are They Best Suited To?

From my experience, the AKU Rocket shoes are best suited to fast hikes where you need something grippy and reliable to see you up and down the mountain. There’s also a bit of flex at the sole which adds to their long distance comfort. When hiking up the Roman Steps in the Rhinogydd, I found that they gripped particularly well on muddy and rocky terrains as well as on muddy paths and slopes. They did struggle a bit on very wet and greasy rocks, but I find that most walking shoes have limitations in this area. In the squelchy mud though? No problems whatsoever.

Thanks to their durability and Gore-tex waterproofing, I can see them working well from spring through to the autumn here in the UK for day hiking, hillwalking and light scrambling. On the flipside, that Gore-Tex lining means they can get pretty warm on those humid or hot days, in which case, I’d opt for something a little more breathable.

Buy The AKU Rocket DFS GTX: £180 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

Materials and Construction

In terms of the shoe’s make-up, you’ll find lightweight, synthetic textiles in the upper, soft dual density PU in the midsole, and a shank/lasting board made from 2mm of polypropylene combined with EVA foam rubber. The footbed is an Ortholite hybrid insole made from partially recycled materials and the lining is constructed from Gore-Tex’s Performance Comfort waterproofing technologies.

Interestingly, the Rocket’s shoe last, insole, midsole and outsole have all been combined in what AKU calls Elica Natural Stride technology. This, in theory, is supposed to mimic the natural shape of your foot and encourage better stability and weight distribution across the shoe, in turn, reducing foot fatigue and hot spots throughout the shoe.

On test, I have found that the shoe has a lot of natural flex to it, and it does encourage you to use your natural gait. That being said, I do get a hot spot towards the heel sometimes. In all honesty, I think I’d need to test the shoe for a lot longer to determine how truly effective this technology is, particularly compared to other hiking shoes. So stay tuned on that front.

You’ve also got handy gaiter attachment loops at the tongue and the rear of the shoe.

Here I am pulling the ‘fast lacing’ part of the DFS system.

Fit

I’m a UK size 6 and I tried these shoes in my usual size. I needed a day or two for my feet to break into them and then I was good to go. I’d say they have a regular fit – they’re not super snug but not too roomy either. This leaves enough leeway for the Dual Fit System (DFS) to do all the work for you.

The DFS is a double lacing system that combines a traditional lace for comfy walking with a fast lacing toggle system to increase sensitivity on climbs and ascents. The fast lacing part is the blue coloured lace with the adjustable toggle on the front. It locks the shoe in even tighter around your foot in exactly the same way as AKU’s approach shoe, the Rock DFS (confusingly, not to be confused with the Rocket DFS).

Overall, I’ve really liked the DFS. I think it’s a really neat invention that really gives the Rockets an edge in terms of versatility and adjustability. Not only is it useful during different phases of your hike – and for light scrambling especially – I’ve also found it handy to use as my feet naturally expand and contract throughout the day. Could I live without it? Yes. But am I happy to have it? Also yes. All in all, it’s nice to have that extra bit of security and agility on the trail.

Durability

One of the things that impressed me the most was the durability of the Rockets. That’ll be thanks to the 3D overlay at the rear and the crossed rib patterning throughout. There’s also a laminated TPU that wraps around the front of the shoe, giving it a little extra protection at the toe box, as well as useful toe and heel caps too.

During my tests, I took the Rockets out and about across a range of terrains including rough and rocky mountain paths, saturated grass trails, boggy ascents, and craggy plateaus with boulders scattered throughout. On one particular ascent, I had to jam my foot in between multiple rocks to climb up and over onto the plateau. Overall, I was very impressed with how the shoes performed. There’s virtually no scuffs on them and they’ve feel like they’ll last a long time. Only time will tell whether this holds true.

Pictured here windswept (like the trees) hiking in the AKU Rockets in Wales. Photos: Dave MacFarlane.

Grip

While the Vibram Megagrip outsole is, as always, impressive; it’s the traction lugs that really stole the show for me. They basically consist of stacked 4mm lugs that are made up of smaller lugs placed on top of larger lugs which Vibram claims improves traction by up to 25%. Both these lug sections have tiny serrated edges to increase that contact and friction with the ground even further.

On test, I wouldn’t know how to measure that 25% claim, but I would say that the grip on these things is very impressive. Like most walking shoes, they have their limits on wet and greasy rocks, however I had no issues across other terrains. Vibram’s traction lug technology is particularly good across muddy and boggy sections where I felt very stable, even when moving fast.

Verdict

All in all, if you’re looking for a shoe that’s a cross between a walking shoe and a trail running shoe, but specifically targeted towards fast hiking, I think you’ll get on well with the AKU Rockets. From my experience, they’re a very tough and technical shoe with excellent grip and waterproofing abilities. Like a lot of Gore-tex shoes, they run on the warm side so they wouldn’t be my go-to for the height of summer. For most UK conditions though, they’ll more than do the job.

Side note: while I don’t mind a shoe that isn’t ultra-cushioned, I’d look elsewhere if that’s your preference. Because of the Elica Natural Stride technology, I’d say it’s the kind of shoe that’s more focused on emphasising your foot’s natural abilities rather than cushioning each and every step.