“Nice show, but lacing system broke”

“Good product, but the special lacing pull-tab broke immediately on the first pull. Tecnica could not replace the lace -- they don't even know if the manufacturer (in Italy) makes a replacement. It's not a question of just popping in a new shoelace since it's a special closed-loop stretch system. I tied the lace off as best I could and have used the shoe anyway, and I'm otherwise happy with it. It chafed my bare foot pretty badly, but with socks it works fine for short/medium hikes, and would certainly be fine for river use barefoot, as long as you don't have to go too far. Eventually I assume my feet will get accustomed to the shoe and the issue of blisters/chafing will ease, so even barefoot it may be ok eventually. Would be very happy, overall, except for the weak lace and VERY poor customer service from Tecnica (NOT from Sierra -- they were very helpful). Tecnica just didn't seem interested in helping me find a fix for their weak lacing system.”