Sunday, August 3
North Face Hedgehog XCR -Follow up
As you may recall early last week I looked at changes introduced since acquiring my original pair of these shoes, commenting:
"As the eyelets were an integral part of the quick lacing system (pull and tie - and worked great as far as I was concerned) I'm not too sure how this will now turn out during regular day to day usage. Or whether the integrity of the GT liner is compromised due to the two holes now punched through the shoe"
Too soon to report on the Gore-Tex, but after a few days wear the lacing system verdict is already in.
Oh dear. What a pity.
It's that damned lacing system I'm afraid. I know Aktoman has also had his own issues with the laces themselves, but I've not found that problem myself.
But as for lacing and fit.
Well I've tried using the three eyelets - and that feels slightly slack; Next trial was with Lace Hole #1 - and a tendency for the lace to lie across the top of the foot; A move to using both Lace Holes felt even worse - a tight fit, but the bellows tongue is now forced flat against the top of the foot making it feel mildly discomforting; Finally I went all out and used the heel lock lacing technique one reader suggested. Again a lovingly tight and stable fit, but too snug for my off-hill use to be honest.
Lets try to put this back into perspective before the Geek-O-Meter goes off the scale with all this pedantic stuff.
The old lacing system meant I could put my foot in the shoe, pull on the lace, tie it off and I was good to go. No matter what terrain I had in mind be it rough stuff or grooving on the mean city streets.
By comparison this new system is just so damned fiddly. From the variations I've tried above I can get a snug and stable fit, if I play with the options. But going through something like a heel-lock variation is a lot of faffing around just to get ready for a wander to my local newsagent.
I've experience of running shoes, including off-road stuff, so I do appreciate the lacing system benefit for that secure and stable fit. But providing this revised system means that for me the adaptability of the Hedgehog has been compromised.
Having said all that it remains a great shoe for fit & comfort.
There's one other change spotted since my last piece, which seems to work but feels strange at first. For some reason North Cape have decided to supply their Northopic insoles, with a noticeable bump running down the centre of the sole for a couple of inches.
It just looks weird. And each time I put the shoes on, it feels weird, at least for the first few seconds until forget about it.
Does it deliver any benefit? Well I've no idea to be frank. Marketing concept, or technical advancement? You've got as good an idea of the answer to that as I have.
I noticed a small piece in September's Trail Magazine under the 'Kit I Love' column. After a year's use that reader adores his pair of Hedghogs. And despite the lacing changes, I guess so do I, at present.
But speaking as one who bought this second pair, based on such a high satisfaction with the original design, I'm not so sure I'll be so ready for a straight replacement next time around. Which really is a measure of how any kit improvement may inadvertently divert the potential consumer away to other options. Not because the product is bad (it isn't!) but because its target market has been narrowed.
Whilst I was trying to buy these on-line I found a number of sites offering them in their 'Off-Road Running Shoe' category. A little heavy for that I would have thought. But one possible explanation behind some of the changes observed here?
Perhaps.
But sometimes kit is just so right on its first appearance on the market perhaps it should just be left alone. Please.Labels: Gear, North Face Hedgehog
Monday, July 28
A Different Gear Review: North Face Hedgehog XCR
I wandered into home this evening to be met by a stunningly large package awaiting my attention. Rydal Rambler had kept their on-line promise in quickly delivering a new pair of North Face Hedgehog XCR trail shoes. A different colour to their now ragged replacements, but a cursory check on the model & size delivered threw up some interesting differences.
(New kids on the block)
As mentioned here in the past, I tend to steer clear of gear reviews. But for a change I thought I'd offer something different to what is usually found in a Gear Review. How about a direct comparison between an old and new product of what remains the same basic model (or as far as I'm aware unchanged).
We've all seen kit reviews where there is feedback on changes to an updated, revised or re-marketed range. But rarely is there any direct physical comparison, and certainly not of the same offering. And indeed why should there be? For there's no real reason for such articles where the basic kit line remains static.
What triggered my interest was immediately spotted production flaws, or so I thought until I looked closer. Further comparison reveals just how much a static product can alter in this case over the 12-18 months since I purchased my original pair.
Ok, I know this may sound a little sad (and perhaps it is) but having never seen this tried before lets have a go now.
(If you want to follow this it may be helpful to download the pictures and zoom in for better detail -the new model aka 'the clean pair' is on the right, or course)
Firstly, the Vibram sole design, from which the Hedgehog gets its name, rightly remains unchanged. But the shoe's "exoskeleton" has been substantially modified. In some areas it seems to try to protect the mesh "under shoe" which is especially noticeable on the top of the toe box & the heel areas. However in other areas the mesh is now exposed instead. No apparent benefit that I can see to be honest. The Gore-Tex liner prevents incursion of water etc, but perhaps this is meant to prevent those teeny tiny pores clogging with debris?
The most visible change is two new lace holes, punched into the shoe itself, offering tighter strapping around the ankle as seen in running shoe design. This is achieved by reducing the main eyelets from four to three and moving them closer together.
That means Lace Hole #1 is now roughly in the same place as Eyelet #4 on the original model.
As the eyelets were an integral part of the quick lacing system (pull and tie - and worked great as far as I was concerned) I'm not too sure how this will now turn out during regular day to day usage. Or whether the integrity of the GT liner is compromised due to the two holes now punched through the shoe.
I'd not spotted this initially, and had already un-threaded the laces from the "extra" holes as not something I tend to like. I suspect when I actually start wearing these shoes that lace hole may well become necessary.
What originally set me off on all this geekyness was the finish around the shoe tongue, an immediate reaction on checking that the shoes were the size I'd ordered. My first thought was that I'd been sent a pair of factory seconds, the finish looked that ragged.
The old model folded the inner lining over the top of the bellows tongue giving a nice neat finish. The new version runs a line of stitching along the top edge of this section to join the layers together. How will this affect the performance in harsh conditions?
To me it just looked tatty, but it is clearly a deliberate act, and is a neatly stitched finish, but with a ragged top edge.
I could go on, but you get the general idea here.
I didn't expect this model to have escaped mild cosmetic change. But is this revision the result of product improvement from customer feedback or complaint?
Or perhaps it merely saves factory production costs?
I can't answer that as yet. But these will be hammered and abused just as much as their predecessors have been. And if there is any reduction in what they deliver, like Anrnie - 'I'll be back' (with an update) Labels: Gear, North Face Hedgehog
All site material © John Hee - ask before you snatch
"As the eyelets were an integral part of the quick lacing system (pull and tie - and worked great as far as I was concerned) I'm not too sure how this will now turn out during regular day to day usage. Or whether the integrity of the GT liner is compromised due to the two holes now punched through the shoe"
Too soon to report on the Gore-Tex, but after a few days wear the lacing system verdict is already in.
Oh dear. What a pity.
It's that damned lacing system I'm afraid. I know Aktoman has also had his own issues with the laces themselves, but I've not found that problem myself.
But as for lacing and fit.
Well I've tried using the three eyelets - and that feels slightly slack; Next trial was with Lace Hole #1 - and a tendency for the lace to lie across the top of the foot; A move to using both Lace Holes felt even worse - a tight fit, but the bellows tongue is now forced flat against the top of the foot making it feel mildly discomforting; Finally I went all out and used the heel lock lacing technique one reader suggested. Again a lovingly tight and stable fit, but too snug for my off-hill use to be honest.
Lets try to put this back into perspective before the Geek-O-Meter goes off the scale with all this pedantic stuff.
The old lacing system meant I could put my foot in the shoe, pull on the lace, tie it off and I was good to go. No matter what terrain I had in mind be it rough stuff or grooving on the mean city streets.
By comparison this new system is just so damned fiddly. From the variations I've tried above I can get a snug and stable fit, if I play with the options. But going through something like a heel-lock variation is a lot of faffing around just to get ready for a wander to my local newsagent.
I've experience of running shoes, including off-road stuff, so I do appreciate the lacing system benefit for that secure and stable fit. But providing this revised system means that for me the adaptability of the Hedgehog has been compromised.
Having said all that it remains a great shoe for fit & comfort.
There's one other change spotted since my last piece, which seems to work but feels strange at first. For some reason North Cape have decided to supply their Northopic insoles, with a noticeable bump running down the centre of the sole for a couple of inches.
It just looks weird. And each time I put the shoes on, it feels weird, at least for the first few seconds until forget about it.
Does it deliver any benefit? Well I've no idea to be frank. Marketing concept, or technical advancement? You've got as good an idea of the answer to that as I have.
I noticed a small piece in September's Trail Magazine under the 'Kit I Love' column. After a year's use that reader adores his pair of Hedghogs. And despite the lacing changes, I guess so do I, at present.
But speaking as one who bought this second pair, based on such a high satisfaction with the original design, I'm not so sure I'll be so ready for a straight replacement next time around. Which really is a measure of how any kit improvement may inadvertently divert the potential consumer away to other options. Not because the product is bad (it isn't!) but because its target market has been narrowed.
Whilst I was trying to buy these on-line I found a number of sites offering them in their 'Off-Road Running Shoe' category. A little heavy for that I would have thought. But one possible explanation behind some of the changes observed here?
Perhaps.
But sometimes kit is just so right on its first appearance on the market perhaps it should just be left alone. Please.
Labels: Gear, North Face Hedgehog
A Different Gear Review: North Face Hedgehog XCR
I wandered into home this evening to be met by a stunningly large package awaiting my attention. Rydal Rambler had kept their on-line promise in quickly delivering a new pair of North Face Hedgehog XCR trail shoes. A different colour to their now ragged replacements, but a cursory check on the model & size delivered threw up some interesting differences.
(New kids on the block)
As mentioned here in the past, I tend to steer clear of gear reviews. But for a change I thought I'd offer something different to what is usually found in a Gear Review. How about a direct comparison between an old and new product of what remains the same basic model (or as far as I'm aware unchanged).
We've all seen kit reviews where there is feedback on changes to an updated, revised or re-marketed range. But rarely is there any direct physical comparison, and certainly not of the same offering. And indeed why should there be? For there's no real reason for such articles where the basic kit line remains static.
What triggered my interest was immediately spotted production flaws, or so I thought until I looked closer. Further comparison reveals just how much a static product can alter in this case over the 12-18 months since I purchased my original pair.
Ok, I know this may sound a little sad (and perhaps it is) but having never seen this tried before lets have a go now.
(If you want to follow this it may be helpful to download the pictures and zoom in for better detail -the new model aka 'the clean pair' is on the right, or course)
Firstly, the Vibram sole design, from which the Hedgehog gets its name, rightly remains unchanged. But the shoe's "exoskeleton" has been substantially modified. In some areas it seems to try to protect the mesh "under shoe" which is especially noticeable on the top of the toe box & the heel areas. However in other areas the mesh is now exposed instead. No apparent benefit that I can see to be honest. The Gore-Tex liner prevents incursion of water etc, but perhaps this is meant to prevent those teeny tiny pores clogging with debris?
The most visible change is two new lace holes, punched into the shoe itself, offering tighter strapping around the ankle as seen in running shoe design. This is achieved by reducing the main eyelets from four to three and moving them closer together.
That means Lace Hole #1 is now roughly in the same place as Eyelet #4 on the original model.
As the eyelets were an integral part of the quick lacing system (pull and tie - and worked great as far as I was concerned) I'm not too sure how this will now turn out during regular day to day usage. Or whether the integrity of the GT liner is compromised due to the two holes now punched through the shoe.
I'd not spotted this initially, and had already un-threaded the laces from the "extra" holes as not something I tend to like. I suspect when I actually start wearing these shoes that lace hole may well become necessary.
What originally set me off on all this geekyness was the finish around the shoe tongue, an immediate reaction on checking that the shoes were the size I'd ordered. My first thought was that I'd been sent a pair of factory seconds, the finish looked that ragged.
The old model folded the inner lining over the top of the bellows tongue giving a nice neat finish. The new version runs a line of stitching along the top edge of this section to join the layers together. How will this affect the performance in harsh conditions?
To me it just looked tatty, but it is clearly a deliberate act, and is a neatly stitched finish, but with a ragged top edge.
I could go on, but you get the general idea here.
I didn't expect this model to have escaped mild cosmetic change. But is this revision the result of product improvement from customer feedback or complaint?
Or perhaps it merely saves factory production costs?
I can't answer that as yet. But these will be hammered and abused just as much as their predecessors have been. And if there is any reduction in what they deliver, like Anrnie - 'I'll be back' (with an update) Labels: Gear, North Face Hedgehog
(New kids on the block)As mentioned here in the past, I tend to steer clear of gear reviews. But for a change I thought I'd offer something different to what is usually found in a Gear Review. How about a direct comparison between an old and new product of what remains the same basic model (or as far as I'm aware unchanged).
We've all seen kit reviews where there is feedback on changes to an updated, revised or re-marketed range. But rarely is there any direct physical comparison, and certainly not of the same offering. And indeed why should there be? For there's no real reason for such articles where the basic kit line remains static.
What triggered my interest was immediately spotted production flaws, or so I thought until I looked closer. Further comparison reveals just how much a static product can alter in this case over the 12-18 months since I purchased my original pair.
Ok, I know this may sound a little sad (and perhaps it is) but having never seen this tried before lets have a go now.
(If you want to follow this it may be helpful to download the pictures and zoom in for better detail -the new model aka 'the clean pair' is on the right, or course)
Firstly, the Vibram sole design, from which the Hedgehog gets its name, rightly remains unchanged. But the shoe's "exoskeleton" has been substantially modified. In some areas it seems to try to protect the mesh "under shoe" which is especially noticeable on the top of the toe box & the heel areas. However in other areas the mesh is now exposed instead. No apparent benefit that I can see to be honest. The Gore-Tex liner prevents incursion of water etc, but perhaps this is meant to prevent those teeny tiny pores clogging with debris?
The most visible change is two new lace holes, punched into the shoe itself, offering tighter strapping around the ankle as seen in running shoe design. This is achieved by reducing the main eyelets from four to three and moving them closer together.
That means Lace Hole #1 is now roughly in the same place as Eyelet #4 on the original model.
As the eyelets were an integral part of the quick lacing system (pull and tie - and worked great as far as I was concerned) I'm not too sure how this will now turn out during regular day to day usage. Or whether the integrity of the GT liner is compromised due to the two holes now punched through the shoe.
I'd not spotted this initially, and had already un-threaded the laces from the "extra" holes as not something I tend to like. I suspect when I actually start wearing these shoes that lace hole may well become necessary.
What originally set me off on all this geekyness was the finish around the shoe tongue, an immediate reaction on checking that the shoes were the size I'd ordered. My first thought was that I'd been sent a pair of factory seconds, the finish looked that ragged.
The old model folded the inner lining over the top of the bellows tongue giving a nice neat finish. The new version runs a line of stitching along the top edge of this section to join the layers together. How will this affect the performance in harsh conditions?
To me it just looked tatty, but it is clearly a deliberate act, and is a neatly stitched finish, but with a ragged top edge.
I could go on, but you get the general idea here.
I didn't expect this model to have escaped mild cosmetic change. But is this revision the result of product improvement from customer feedback or complaint?
Or perhaps it merely saves factory production costs?
I can't answer that as yet. But these will be hammered and abused just as much as their predecessors have been. And if there is any reduction in what they deliver, like Anrnie - 'I'll be back' (with an update)
Labels: Gear, North Face Hedgehog
All site material © John Hee - ask before you snatch
