Calsy

Are there any great bite from cold handbrake shoes out there?

to save me from putting a hydraulic handbrake in

stockcar

for what use exactly?? std OEM are perfectly fine for 99% of people

we have had shoes relined with aggressive competition material in the past for rally / Autotest type use.........

John 37

I've never found the need for hydraulic handbrake on an Impreza and, yes, I do use it to turn the car round 😁.
Make sure the rear shoes are free, correctly fitted and adjusted. Disconnect the cable both sides before adjusting. Many folks simply adjust the cable. That's when they lose bite. Once the brakes are right, refit and adjust the cables. The result is a handbrake that will throw the car through 180deg as well as any hydraulic system.
One thought, if it's an STI with DCCD, make sure it's not set solid before using the handbrake. Get that wrong and it could become a hand break. Groan