The North Face Hedgehog Futurelight

This product has been around for years and has always been great, but now the fit is not the same as the previous version of the Hedgehog. Great grippy soles and waterproof membrane are a must in the Pacific Northwest—especially with the "Atmospheric Rivers" lately.

I've owned three pairs of Hedgehog Fastpack with Goretex liner over the past 6 years and they have always fit my foot extremely well. With my last pair knackered, I've had to replace with the Hedgehog Futurelight thinking it would be the same.

Their manufacturer is using a different last and the shoes just don't fit the same. The heel cup is bigger and my foot slops around in the shoe. Also, you can see where they have reduced their costs by using smaller rands and toecaps, less stitching and so forth. 

The good news is that the Vibram soles have great grip in the dry or wet. I hope they last as many Km as the previous models.

I've tried the Futurelight waterproof liners out in a couple of hikes during the "atmospheric rivers" that inundated the Vancouver area the past few weeks.  Dressed in my full Goretex rain kit, the water was running down my legs and onto the shoes.  My feet stayed almost dry over my normal 6Km hikes with only a tiny bit of leakage in the toe cap. Not perfect but pretty good. The Goretex membranes in my earlier models always broke down over time and I expect the Futurelight will as well. Hopefully it will last as long s the GTX.

Background

Had The North Face Hedgehog Fastpacks for last 6 years. Have used the new Hedgehog Futurelights for several hikes now, two in the massive November downpours on the West Coast. Walked on pavement, gravel, forest floor, etc.