Flats Boots?

[meaton]

Hello all!
I am heading down to Texas and then Florida for some saltwater fishing with my family over the next couple months. The whole fishery is new to us and we haven’t ever worn/needed flats boots before. Do you guys have any recommendations? Should we pony up and buy more expensive boots thinking that they will last a while (simms or patagonia)? Are the cheap ones a better option ($30 at Basspro)? What do we need to think about when looking at boots? My only thought right now is comfort and fit, boots that we can wade in all day and that won’t get sucked off our feet in the mud. Any thoughts/recommendations are appreciated, thanks in advance for your help!

Mike

[willyf]

I had a pair of Chotas that lasted forever, but they were really heavy and smelled terrible no matter what I did to them. They were twice as heavy when they were wet–and they took a while to dry out. Last year I bought some Patagonia Marlwalkers II on Sierra Trading Post (for about $40!) and they were great. Much lighter and no smell. I wear them with a pair of wading socks and expect them to last quite a while. They’re much lighter, don’t hold much water at all, and aren’t smelly. I’d definitely recommend them–especially if you can find a deal like I did.

[Bob Riggins]

I use Simms Flats Sneakers. They give good support and protection from oysters and sting rays. I had a pair of the first generation Patagonia Marlwalkers and they were heavy and uncomfortable, but I think the newer models are much better. With either one you will need to wear socks. Cabelas used to have a decent knockoff of the Simms Flats Sneakers, but I think they discontinued them.

[meaton]

Thanks for the info Bob and Willy! $40 for the Marlwalkers is a steal! I’ll keep an eye out, for that price it would be a no-brainer.
Has anyone tried the surf booty type? Rubber sole with neoprene uppers and a zipper up the side?
I like the idea of the harder sole in the Patagonia or Simms boots, but wonder how they perform in mud.
Thanks again!

Mike

[Wayne J.]

Mike,

I’ve bonefished in the bahamas for a few years and have used kayaking boots made by NRS (guessing $40). Neoprene boot with thick rubber soles that protect your feet. I’ve not fished Texas but in Bahamas, not all flats are made the same. Sometimes it is just sand/crabs and other times mud/coral. I’ve been in both and no issues. Wore them last week for over 10 hours one day. Comfortable and no issues. Just make sure whatever you buy you wash and dry well afterwards and most shoes will build up orders if you don’t.

Enjoy your trip

Wayne

[kennyw]

http://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/accessories/neoprene-wading-socks.html

How about some of these wth your normal wading boots? I live in Florida and have always just used old tennis shoes. Most of the state is pretty much the same old sand or mud bottom. If you’re not going to use them all the time I wouldn’t waste the money on fancy wading shoes. Keep in mind I’m assuming that you’re young and have good balance. If this is the case you’ll be fine in whatever.

[meaton]

Thanks for the input Wayne, its nice to hear that those types of booties work well in different conditions and that you can spend a bunch of time in them with no issues. I may go that route since they are cheaper.

Kenny, I use the Simms wading socks with my regular wading boots when I wet wade rivers and am comfortable in that set up, although I’m not sure the boots would stay on in thick thick mud. The main problem with that is that both pairs of my river boots are destroyed right now, so neither will work. I might go with the tennis shoe option since I am a strong wader and that sounds cheapest.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I’m in Houston a few days before heading down to the coast, time to check out the selection at the local shops and see if they have anything in my price range/on super sale. I’ll post back with a review of whatever we decide. Thanks!!

Mike

[Bob Riggins]

I’m not a big fan of the bootie style. They don’t provide the ankle support and little protection from sting rays. You only need wading shoes if you are wading soft bottoms, which are common in Florida and Texas. For years I used a pair of Hodgman lug sole canvas wading boots (sort of Chuck Taylors for wading). They worked fine until if finally blew them out completely. I don’t think Hodgman makes them any more, but I’ve seen similar ones around for about $20. For hard sandy bottoms, I use Keen H2 sandals and shuffle my feet a lot (known as the stingray shuffle).

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