I have been wearing a new pair of the 08 Hardrocks and thought it may be helpful to other BPL members to post my thoughts. Overall the quality seems equal to the 07 model, the fit for me was a 1/2 size smaller. The arch feels to be designed slightly different and upon first putting the shoes on this felt very noticeable. The arch did not hurt it just felt different than my 07 shoes. The 08 model has a new gusset on the tongue which should help in keeping out trail dirt and seems well designed. The lacing is cleaner with fewer lace connections, down from eight to six, this does not seem to effect my ability to adjust or maintain the desired fit I'm looking for. The shoes mesh fabric is completly new and seems very breathable, first impression is it may not be as tough but time will tell. A small concern is that the rear most webbing support is sewn outside the lower leather rand which may allow for wear or damage to the web. All in all I would say if a person was pleased with the 07 model then the 08 will work well, having said that I think I prefer the 07 and I'm glad I bought several pair at a great price at Altrec. I hope this helps.
