Perhaps…I dont actually disagree…but the “hype” is because for close to a decade it was the ONLY vest with weight-bearing straps/hip-belt, water bottle holders, shell-pockets deep enough to carry a full box of shells and not spill them, and last more than a season. Heck, before WW the fricking filson tin cloth vest with cotton straps was the standard for strap vests—thats like the stone-age by comparison. For a long time WW was light-years ahead of anything else that existed for a bird hunting vest, and worth every inch of the hype. Along with a few other brands from the 90’s-ish and very early 2000’s (Mother, etc) Ww IS the reason we have all these various technical strap vests now, for bird hunting, but also for turkey hunting, etc. I think a lot of peoples’ preference for layout of a vest or pack is just that—preference—and doesnt usually say anything one way or another about whether its a good or innovative product. It’s the next crop of imitators that copies the good parts, while refining the parts that could be better focused for X, Y or Z use, that might get you closer to your ideal. I think many of the vests mentioned in this thread (orvis, but also quilomene/q5, plus several others) are that “next step”. I would not call any of those particularly innovative, nor do I think any of them “re-write the history of bird hunting vests”, but are probably all a step forward in useability and refinement in various areas. Being able to actually procure one is a good step, too.