Built with a unique lug pattern that allows the foot to flex more naturally, the specially-designed soles give you greater balance and comfort when exploring uneven terrain. Hikers and backpackers can rely on the heel stabilising Cradle Guide technology to keep them steady on uneven ground while the EVA cushioning provides a pillow-soft landing. Offering incredible trail protection, the hiker features abrasion-resistant mesh, which prevents snags and tears, mid-height construction for added ankle protection, and a Vibram rubber outsole for traction on uneven surfaces. Highly abrasion and water-resistant, over 70 years of outerwear knowledge and experience have gone into this design.

Originally debuted in Spring 2006, The North Face has updated their signature Hedgehog design to feature a modern lightweight construction and CRADLE Guide technology. The Hedgehog Fastpack hiking shoe, from The North Face, is suitable for many difficult terrains like rocky slopes.North Face themselves apart with the Hedgehog Fastpack by using technology to deliver a hiking shoe like no other, in tailored models for both men and women. My first impression when slipping on The North Face Hedgehog Fastpack GTX was that it felt like a bit of a throwback.

On top of all this, the synthetic nubuck upper is waterproof and the mesh is abrasion resistant, ideal for rocky and gravelly terrain. The shoe’s low stack height puts it close to the ground, its collar wraps nicely around the ankle, and the reinforced heel counter helps limit rolled ankles while boulder hopping. My experience has been similar to nearly every GTX shoe and boot I’ve tested: the Hedgehog does a fine job repelling light rain, dewy grass, and the occasional stream dunk.But the sport’s widespread popularity has led to a dizzying array of shoe brands, styles, and available features. The North Face uses own and third party cookies for marketing, profiling and analytics purposes, and to ease your navigation on the site. Lighter than the classic Hedgehog boots but still packed with technology to support, cushion and stabilise your journey through rugged terrain, the soles are zonally fine-tuned with CRADLE™ offering support and comfort. To be clear, comfort and fit often go hand-in-hand and the Hedgehog Fastpack has been around long enough to have its legions of fans. The outsole is constructed from Vibram rubber which offers durable protection on rocky terrain and grip on wet, snowy and even icy conditions.