Why hide armor?
In Skyrim, hide armor is made from the same materials as leather armor and, if memory serves, leather beats hide in every category by the numbers. Hide has a shield and leather does not, but other than that, what's the point?
Hide armor is practically inferior in every way, and there's no reason to buy it or craft it unless you're going for the "hide armor" look.
It weighs slightly less, but not really enough to make a difference.