So...Tom Hull and I recently returned from a climbing trip to the world famous El Chorro gorge, Andalucia, Spain.
Whilst we were there solely (pardon the pun) to climb as many routes in two weeks as we could. I had been given a sneaky side mission by the kind fellows from Hi-Tec Sports UK to write a review for a pair of their "Hornet HPi" shoes. After the two weeks of pounding they got whilst we were out there, I can tell you now that they were really put through their paces (quite literally).
THE SHOE.
I'm not going to give you a long list of all the features for the shoe, you can look at the Hi-Tec website for that (Click here to see the full spec...) I simply want to tell about my personal experience with the shoe; What I thought was good and bad, what works and what doesn't and why YOU might consider getting hold of a pair for yourself.
WHY THE HORNET HPi?
When I was talking with Hi-Tec about a shoe to take to El Chorro I gave them a rough idea of what we were expecting in terms of conditions; dry and warm, with potential for long, dusty and rocky walk-ins.
I was looking for a trainer/approach shoe rather than a boot. I wanted a versatile shoe that would be light enough for throwing on to nip into the village to pick up essentials, yet provide support and comfort on long walk-ins carrying climbing gear. I required traction and grip on many terrains from tarmac to rock, scree and loose paths. The Hornet HPi with it's array of features ticking all the required boxes, was the shoe of choice.
On the train to El Chorro we were met with large thunder clouds and a lot of rain instead of bright sunshine. Not what we were expecting to say the least. We later found out that El Chorro has been experienced possibly one of THE WETTEST winters ever seen there, with a constant 9 weeks of rain previous to our arrival. As you may have guessed ... the conditions were NOT what we were expecting.
The formally dusty paths had turned to mud and clay with a VERY loose and slippery surface coating, the roads were well on their way to full scale erosion and the ground was at times very unstable. The amount of subsidence that had taken place over such a short time span was astonishing. On our first day out as we passed other teams of climbers kitted out with walking boots, I began to wonder how the Hornet HPi would fair up.
I was not disappointed.
THE REVIEW.
When I recieved the shoe I was immediately taken aback by the colour. I opted for the grey/green model rather than the black/orange one. It was bright. There was one thing for sure, I wasn't going to lose them.
Next came actually using them. I was concerned, wondering how they would perform on this unexpected terrain. They did not let me down. 
They held solid in the thick, wet mud providing perfect traction and support both up and down hill, carrying a full pack that weighed between 5-10kg depending how much gear we were required on a day to day basis. The aggresive Multi-Directional Traction pattern performed as well as any boot I have ever worn fell walking on similar if ground in the Lakes back home in the UK. The compound of the rubber worked brilliantly on the rocky areas at the bottom of crags even when it was wet (any shoe that grips wet limestone boulders deserves an award if you ask me!). The heat sealed overlay (yes...those bright green bits) weren't the gimmick that I had been suspicions about, working in conjunction with the lacing system they succeeded in pulling the whole shoe from the upper right down to the sole tight around the foot reducing any movement.
After being constantly impressed about how the Hornet HPi were performing on soft, loose ground, I was eagerly anticipating putting them to their paces on hard surfaces to see how the construction worked at providing cushioning and support when under high impact.
A full night of torrential downpours and continued rain the next day meant there was very little climbing to be had, which presented the perfect oppurtunity for me to take them out on the road.
Now these shoes are most certainly not designed for road running, and Hi-Tec don't sell them for that purpose, but the steep tarmac slopes in and out of El Chorro are as good a testing ground as any and again, the Hornet HPi performed fantastically well. The midsole and Comfort-tec custom sockliner provided ample cushioning and support for the ankles and knees, the lateral support of the shoe and the heel support served well also and again, the heat sealed overlays kept the foot in place. I'm not saying by any means, that the Hornet HPi is the perfect road running shoe, their weight and construction style are not designed for it, but for infrequent, one-off use on the road, they really are great.
The final box that I wanted to tick for the review was all weather dependant, I wanted to know how the shoes would perform under the conditions that I'd originally chosen them for; warm, dry and rock strewn. The weather dried up for a few days, the sun shone with all it's glory and in true Spanish form, everything dried out incredibly fast. The Hornet HPi, again was a winner.
Being "ultra-breathable" due to the synthetic upper and Ion-Mask hydrophobic technology they were comfortable in the heat with a thin 'Coolmax' liner sock. They were also equally comfortable without a sock for throwing on and moving quickly between sectors and for sitting at belays. They gripped the dusty limestone slabs superbly when scrambling between routes and areas and they again provided all the support needed when carrying gear. The performance of the Hornet HPi again had managed to exceed my expectations.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I have only one thing to say about the Hornet HPi in terms of criticism, and that is that they are designed to be hydrophobic and not fully waterproof. When I recieved them I knew what I was getting, but it just seems that with the weather I experienced out there, which wasn't too far from a traditional Great British summer that making them waterproof would have offered that little bit extra, especially for sale to a British market. Also, with the amount of plastic and rubber that is already on the shoe, the toe protection, the heat sealed overlay and the casing round the heel, it wouldn't be compromising breathability too much more to have an eVENT membrane included. Nonetheless I was still mightily impressed my there superb construction and impeccable performance. Plus HI-TEC do manufatcture fully waterproof shoe in the same 'Adventure Sport' category.
FINAL WORD.
If you are looking for a top end adventure trainer at an amazing price (they retail between £40-£60 depending where you buy them...BARGAIN!) then the HT HORNET HPi is the shoe for you. More than adequate for long trails carrying a pack when the weight of your footwear is an issue, superb for walking or running over precarious terrain when you need your footwear to be giving 100% all the time and comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday whether you're on the fell, at the crag or even down the pub, the Hornet HPi is up there with the best of them.
After being constantly impressed about how the Hornet HPi were performing on soft, loose ground, I was eagerly anticipating putting them to their paces on hard surfaces to see how the construction worked at providing cushioning and support when under high impact.
A full night of torrential downpours and continued rain the next day meant there was very little climbing to be had, which presented the perfect oppurtunity for me to take them out on the road.
Now these shoes are most certainly not designed for road running, and Hi-Tec don't sell them for that purpose, but the steep tarmac slopes in and out of El Chorro are as good a testing ground as any and again, the Hornet HPi performed fantastically well. The midsole and Comfort-tec custom sockliner provided ample cushioning and support for the ankles and knees, the lateral support of the shoe and the heel support served well also and again, the heat sealed overlays kept the foot in place. I'm not saying by any means, that the Hornet HPi is the perfect road running shoe, their weight and construction style are not designed for it, but for infrequent, one-off use on the road, they really are great.The final box that I wanted to tick for the review was all weather dependant, I wanted to know how the shoes would perform under the conditions that I'd originally chosen them for; warm, dry and rock strewn. The weather dried up for a few days, the sun shone with all it's glory and in true Spanish form, everything dried out incredibly fast. The Hornet HPi, again was a winner.
Being "ultra-breathable" due to the synthetic upper and Ion-Mask hydrophobic technology they were comfortable in the heat with a thin 'Coolmax' liner sock. They were also equally comfortable without a sock for throwing on and moving quickly between sectors and for sitting at belays. They gripped the dusty limestone slabs superbly when scrambling between routes and areas and they again provided all the support needed when carrying gear. The performance of the Hornet HPi again had managed to exceed my expectations.CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I have only one thing to say about the Hornet HPi in terms of criticism, and that is that they are designed to be hydrophobic and not fully waterproof. When I recieved them I knew what I was getting, but it just seems that with the weather I experienced out there, which wasn't too far from a traditional Great British summer that making them waterproof would have offered that little bit extra, especially for sale to a British market. Also, with the amount of plastic and rubber that is already on the shoe, the toe protection, the heat sealed overlay and the casing round the heel, it wouldn't be compromising breathability too much more to have an eVENT membrane included. Nonetheless I was still mightily impressed my there superb construction and impeccable performance. Plus HI-TEC do manufatcture fully waterproof shoe in the same 'Adventure Sport' category.FINAL WORD.
If you are looking for a top end adventure trainer at an amazing price (they retail between £40-£60 depending where you buy them...BARGAIN!) then the HT HORNET HPi is the shoe for you. More than adequate for long trails carrying a pack when the weight of your footwear is an issue, superb for walking or running over precarious terrain when you need your footwear to be giving 100% all the time and comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday whether you're on the fell, at the crag or even down the pub, the Hornet HPi is up there with the best of them.
THUMBS UP FOR THE HORNET HPi FROM ME!
Finally, I would like to thank all the people at HI-TEC Sports UK for allowing me to review their shoes, especially Luke Schnacke and also a huge thanks to Tom Hull for agreeing to take so many photo's and for putting up with me for two weeks.
Blog fans: Report of the trip to El Chorro with photo's following very soon...watch this space.
Blog fans: Report of the trip to El Chorro with photo's following very soon...watch this space.
