Description of The North Face Hedgehog GTX XCR Shoe - Men's:
The North Face made the Men's Hedgehog GTX XCR Hiking Shoes for adventure racers and fast-paced hikers. A waterproof breathable Gore-Tex membrane fights mud-season trails and inclement weather. The North Face added cushiony forefoot and heel inserts, plus a heel air pod for bottom-of-your-foot delight, and stashed an antimicrobial covering on top of the ergonomically designed footbed to cut down on stink. The Hedgehog GTX XCR Shoe's lightweight Vibram outsole grips rocks and wet leaves as you fly over the trail.
Bottom Line: The North Face equipped the Hedgehog GTX XCR Hiking Shoes for Mother Nature's gnarliest topographic challenges.
I got these for a trip to Hawai'i in March with my geology class. We'll be hiking 11-14 miles plus per day and I wanted a comfortable, low cut shoe much like a trail running shoe, except with the traction and support of a hiker. So far I've just worn these around campus to break them in, but that wasn't even necessary, they are very comfortable out of the box. They are my new favorite shoes, with the feel of a tennie and not clunky boots. Gore-tex lining works great, and as long as you wear some good socks there's no problem with stinky feet. The only thing I don't like are the laces. Tightening the laces sucks because they loosen up again as you tie the shoe. I'll write another review about durability after the trip, the lava fields are notoriously tough on shoes!
I used these primarily for the Archery Elk season here in Colorado. I put these shoes to a serious test. I did some really radical hiking: scree fields, extreme vertical up and down, wet a lot of the time, for miles and miles and miles. I thought they did ok. I ended up tearing off quite a few of the nubs on the sole. They had pretty good traction, except when they were wet. I ate it a few times side-hilling on wet grass. Yes the waterproofness was nice at times (morning dew on everything), however most of the time my feet were moist from the sweat. These shoes don't breathe near as well as they say they do. This led to some serious stink...not good when your after those wiley wapiti. My Biggest complaint were the shoelaces. I think I stopped to retie them about a hundred times. the material and round design of the lace just wouldn't allow it to catch on itself reliably. In the end they did help me get a big one, so I can say that I would recommend them.
