Converting old hikers...

[jayL]

All,

Has anyone ever tried converting old hiking boots to wading boots? I have an old pair of cheapie cabela's hikers. They left me with silver dollar sized blisters the last time I used them, which is probably made worse by the fact that they are slightly too loose.

I'm thinking about putting some studs in them and converting them to a backup pair of wading boots.

Has anyone done this before? I'm thinking I could remove the insulation to make them lighter when wet. Any reason why it wouldn't work?

 

[David]

Sounds like a worthwhile investment of time for a backup.

I know my first pair of wading boots, back in college when I had no money, was a pair of converse high tops. I made some alterations to them, and they worked fine. I of course was much more mobile back then, so slipping was much less of a concern.

 

[MKern]

My buddy is broke and he used his hikers without studs. I've aslo seen him wear sneakers.

Give it a shot.

 

[tomgamber]

They would just need drain holes or they would become quite a burden.

 

[jayL]

tomgamber wrote:
They would just need drain holes or they would become quite a burden.

Good call. They have some holes, but more will be added.

 

[Bruno]

I would suggest ice racing tire screws. The bite and last longer IMO. You can find them cheaper or stop by a bike shop and see if you can buy a handful.

 

[afishinado]

I had to do it once out of necessity once. They worked okay for a day. Jay is right about the drain holes. The other thing is that most hiking shoes are not large enough to cannot accommodate the heavy neoprene booties.

 

[shipnfish2006]

I used to try to convert my beat up old shoes. I found running sneakers to be the best because the water didn't sit within the shoe. Like others mentioned, hiking boots tend to hold the water and I always ended up with blisters from them. I've been told to just wear a really heavy pair of wool socks to prevent this, but I never tried it. I eventually wanted something with better stream traction, that I could also hike with, so I bought a pair of Korkers.

 

[bam]

Agree with shipnfish on running shoes. They'll drain much better but probably won't provide much ankle support. Depending on the stream, you might not need it.

I tried it with an old pair of sneakers. I drilled small holes through the sole so they wouldn't hold water, but they just weren't big enough to accomodate the thicker neoprene booties. If you're removing the insulation, this shouldn't be much of a problem. Good luck.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

jayL wrote:
Any reason why it wouldn't work?

Yep - one really good one. Look at your leg.

You have far better options available to you. Call me, and I'll explain.

H.A.

 

[jayL]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

jayL wrote:
Any reason why it wouldn't work?

Yep - one really good one. Look at your leg.

You have far better options available to you. Call me, and I'll explain.

H.A.

Good point. I'll give you a call this week.

I was only thinking of screwing a few studs into them as a backup pair, as my old pair left me stranded and paying a markup for my current boots. I was halfway through a trip to pulaski, and could have made it on a cheapie backup pair. I just don't want to throw them out, because I am a terrible packrat.

 

[STONEMAN]

I was just cruising some sites to come up with a cheap warm water wading solution, too. Heritage-A, you would definitely want to be able to fit neoprene booties in your boots. On a hot day i tried to go au naturel under boots and barely (no pun intended) made it back to the car with my heels intact. Does anyone use wading sandles-- Simms or others? Do you have to use booties under them. Do they work in salt flats?

 

[jayL]

STONEMAN wrote:
I was just cruising some sites to come up with a cheap warm water wading solution, too. Heritage-A, you would definitely want to be able to fit neoprene booties in your boots. On a hot day i tried to go au naturel under boots and barely (no pun intended) made it back to the car with my heels intact. Does anyone use wading sandles-- Simms or others? Do you have to use booties under them. Do they work in salt flats?

I haven't worn them, but flybop and my friend Don both wore them in MT and loved them. No booties.

 

[osprey]

The very first thing i thought is...........How's your leg? Is it healing up , in time for a thaw? I once took an old pair of hightops and glued indoor/outdoor capet backwards on the sole , they were for wet wading in the Susk , i think it would probably have the same issues as felt though , this new stuff , Gorilla glue i know would hold it on there.

 

[pcray1231]

I've had bad luck with wading boots. Not comfort or traction issues. Longevity is my issue. I've tried many different types and a year and a half or so and they are done. The synthetic materials fall apart, and the leather ones dry rot or mildew.

I do treat my leather maybe twice a year, and my normal boots (hikers, hunting boots, etc.) give me many years of good service. But wading just takes it out of them.

That said, I've never spent over $70 on wading boots.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

STONEMAN wrote:
Heritage-A, you would definitely want to be able to fit neoprene booties in your boots.

I wholeheartedly agree. I use the Simms wet wading socks with my wading boots when it gets really warm outside. I use them without socks - just bare feet, neoprene booties, and wading boots.

After wearing that combo all day, the stench when you take them off could knock the flies off a s&# pile at a hundred paces. :-o

Makes for a very effective anti-theft deterrent in the back of my truck.

 

[osprey]

HeritageAngler..........amen to that phewwww , i started tying them to the trailer hitch ball , brutal.

 

[Mariner]

I know a commercial fisherman in Alaska who buys gum boots a size and a half too large. He puts on a cheap pair of thin socks then takes a can of Good Stuff and sprays into the foot hold and puts his feet in and out before the Good Stuff fully hardens. The Good Stuff eventually cracks and can be patched with, whatelse, Good Stuff. The point is to turn a cheap thin boot into a toasty, buoyant boot.

I have a beater pair of wading boots I'm going to try this on later this winter. I'll report if it's worth doing.

 

[Fishidiot]

Certainly worth a try. I've used old sneakers in a pinch. Lotsa hikers these days are waterproof with gortex linings and such but, even if this is the case, some punched holes ought to drain 'em fine. You might also be able to make some space in them by ripping out any in-soles that came in the boot.

 

[osprey]

Mariner.........now that's cool , i love it when folks come up with that McGiver stuff , i'm gonna try that in a pair of muck boots i use for small stream brookie fishing. I LOVE THAT!!!!