wading boots
- This topic has 20 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated Dec 15, 2011 at 1:52 am by
.
-
Posts
-
Can you guys give me opinions of felt vs rubber, with and without cleats.
I don’t like the Korkers that I have seen. (interchangeable soles)
Years ago when I tried rubber soles they were DANGEROUS. Are the newer boots really any better ?
I like the security of felt but they don’t last long. I also understand there is some question of rubber really helping with contamination.
I am on my second pair of Chotas with rubber soles and cleats. Really like them. Korkers are very popular and I think you’d be happy with both makes. Simms get high marks too.
I live in Maryland and rubber is all that is allowed.
Rubber is much better in snow as Eric said.Rubber with plenty of cleats is just as good as felt, I have Patagonias and have a combination of carbide studs and aluminum screws. The screws wear fairly quickly but are easy to replace. The key to the whole thing is to have lots of them, I have twenty five to thirty total per boot, depending on how many I’ve lost lately. I think I will not buy more of the carbide studs and just get steel screws for a fraction of the price, the aluminum screws are what really grip smooth rock and steel or carbide will bite through weeds and grip rough rock but slide like skates on smooth stuff.
JCHi Randy,
I have the felt/stud chotas they work well for me,The only problem now is they have banned felt boots in NZ due to the Didymosphenia geminata,
So If travelling to that area, or even Australia for that matter, another “non-felt” option would be the only way
Regards,
Garywhy not do the korkers, The Korkers Chrome is an awesome boot!!!!! with the interchangeable soles and the svelt.
Simms are nice, I own a pair of riversheds, but i wish i had the interchange abliltiy of the korkers, and the boa lacing system aswell
The traction of rubber soles is no where near as good as felt. Studs help, but still don’t make up the difference.
Here are a couple of previous threads about this topic as well, which might be of interest to you:
http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1287156246/13#13http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1259076146/10#10
http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1231455336/18#18
Most of this has already been said and I completely agree with Tim. As I see it:
Studded felt is far and away the best traction available. The only drawback to felt is accumulating snow and being banned certain places. Studs in the felt prolongs its life, five fold. Next up is studded sticky rubber. Simms formerly contracted with climbing company Five Ten for their rubber (2008?) but no more. Those were the best, but the sticky rubber out there now (Vibriam?) is OK. A minority of times I feel a little self conscious climbing into someone’s drift boat if they are not set up with mats to shield the studs. Inter-changables would be nice on those occasions but its not often enough for me to buy a pair.
Patagonia River Walkers in studded felt are sweet. My next pair of boots are going to be the Simms Rivertec with the BOA system. That lacing system has been around long enough to stand the test of time, I am convinced its here to stay and its pretty slick.Keep in mind that most of us who own boats will kill you if you climb into our boats with studded wading boots on.
I’m shopping for wading boots right now so I’m following this thread with great interest.
Thanks for the help, I couldn’t find those topic threads when I searched. Still new to this board.
I totally agree that a felt ban is not the answer.
Guess I will keep repairing my G3’s (Simms) but I’m gonna have to carry them on my back while hiking.Forgot to say, I occasionally fish with a guy who has Korkers and he has trouble keeping the soles on.
I had a couple pair of the older Korkers, and I also had trouble keeping the soles on, and I now have the new korkers with the boa system and the soles have never given me any trouble. I think they have sorted that problem out..
I hate to say this because I think the felt sole ban is very well-intentioned, but I view it as ineffective and frankly a safety hazard.
There are just too many other means for spores you’d need a microscope to see to travel from watershed to watershed.
I switched from felt to the new Simms Vibram boots in 2010. I was going on a multi-river roadtrip in the West and knew I wouldn’t have time to let the felt dry between rivers. In most cases (Montana’s Rock Creek excepted), the Vibram was fine. I added the studs on occasion and that helped.
However this fall I went on a multi-state steelhead trip. I’d heard about how much ‘fun’ the Deschutes and its neighbors can be, so I dug out my old Borger felt soles. I had forgotten how great felt is! I’m not sure I’ll use anything out West again – unless they are banned, of course.
For walking/hiking streams in the East, the Simms boots are very comfortable and provide adequate traction. But for big rivers, give me the security of my old felts!
I think Zach’s posting here a couple years ago was right – we’ve been “marketed!”
There are just too many other means for spores you’d need a microscope to see to travel from watershed to watershed. Reel backing, neoprene gravel guards, neoprene booties, the soft material of the boot, net bags, even flies themselves.
Exactly.
I think on some level it’s a ploy to sell more boots.
Felt soles will be banned in Alaska when 2012 rolls around FYI.
There are just too many other means for spores you’d need a microscope to see to travel from watershed to watershed. Reel backing, neoprene gravel guards, neoprene booties, the soft material of the boot, net bags, even flies themselves.
Exactly.
I think on some level it’s a ploy to sell more boots.
Felt soles will be banned in Alaska when 2012 rolls around FYI.
Banned thanks to Trout Unlimited.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.