Korkers wading boots with the BOA lacing?

MJMFlyfisher

MJMFlyfisher

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Feb 7, 2023
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Location
Schuylkill Co.
Curious is anybody is using this style Korkers boot?.....specifically the Dark Horse, or Devil's Canyon.

I want to know about 3 things.
- Comfort
- BOA lacing and how you like it
- Sizing

I read so many conflicting reviews on sizing......
Standard thought seems to be size up one full size from your street shoe size but I've seen enough reviews sprinkled in from guys who tried it and found them too big.
These would be a spring , summer, early fall fitting boot.....no need for huge wool socks. I'd like them to be the go to trout boots for hiking in at places like Penns Creek, or out west where there's a better than average chance for some pretty good walking. Plus I wanted the interchangeable soles for Yellowstone and any other waters that prohibit felt.
( I have a different boot already for winter fishing locally)

I went to Cabela's today to burn some club points on tying material and after spooking around I saw they had the Dark Horse on the rack! Great I can try them on!.....WRONG.
After 20 minutes of trying to find someone to help and try on a 13 and 14 they don't have them in stock in any size larger than a 10. LOL
Really? Ya gotta do better than that Cabela's.
(Who are the guys with size 9 and 10 feet anyway?)😉

Anybody using them?
 
I have the Dark Horse with the Boa and absolutely love them. I debated between the Dark Horse, River Ops and Devil’s Canyon. I went with the Dark Horse after two separate guys at Korker told me they were their favorites. My son wears the Dark Horse boots as well. The Dark Horse are built tough and are still comfortable. They are midway between the River Ops and Devil’s Canyon in both regards.

We love the boa system. I’ve used them for years. Only had an issue one time, when I had to defrost my right boot after fishing the west branch one time in January. Laces would have probably frozen up as well, as it was a long walk back to the truck through snow and freezing temperatures.

Definitely go up one size, if not two. I got mine on Amazon, which makes exchanges easier if you have to change sizes. Of all the Korker soles, my favorite by far are the felt with studs. The crew at Korkers liked them beat as well.

I used to love Cabela’s when it really was Cabela’s. In my opinion, their in-house brand quality has gone way down, customer service is way down, and stock is often short as well. Driving to Cabela’s in Hamburg used to be a day trip my wife and I looked forward to, but no more. Too bad Bass Pro bought them out.
 
I have worn Devils Canyon for a long time now and love them. The studded carbide is a game changer on some of the difficult to wade tailwaters I fish. I wear an 11.5/12 street shoe, I have 13s for winter and 12s for the rest of the year. I can't recommend Korkers enough.
 
Thank you both for the thoughtful replies.....
Man I need to try both of these boots on in person!
It seems like everyone who has the Dark Horse loves them.....
And it seems like everyone who has the Devil's Canyon loves them just as much!
I'll be at TCO in Boiling Springs Friday. I'll have to see if they carry Korkers.
 
I’m a Korkers guy too. I’ve always bought one size bigger than my street shoe size with Korkers, which I think is fairly standard practice with Korkers. 10.5/11 street, and I buy 12’s in Korkers.

Agree with Ryan on the studded carbide soles. Well worth the $50 or whatever. Still get decent grip from rubber lugs for all around traction and the carbide tips “bite” into large slab rock without turning into ice skates far better than any other sole I’ve tried.

As to the BOA vs. traditional laces, there’s pros and cons to both, largely a personal preference deal. I’m a traditional laces guy, but there are plenty of BOA fans out there too. Dig up some older threads on that subject, there’s a lot on the site talking about the pros and cons of both.

But, can’t go wrong with Korkers.
 
Add me to the Korkers club: Dark Horse with Boa. I've had them for 2 years. They are serving me very well.
 
You guys with the BOAs.....they lace up snug enough for you for the full length of the laces portion, or do they get tighter up high than around the top of your foot?
 
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ryansheehan said:
I have worn Devils Canyon for a long time now and love them. The studded carbide is a game changer on some of the difficult to wade tailwaters I fish. I wear an 11.5/12 street shoe, I have 13s for winter and 12s for the rest of the year. I can't recommend Korkers enough.
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I have two pairs of korkers ( different models) and size 11 fits my size 10.5 feet well for spring through fall fishing
 
Have the devil's canyon with BOA. I wear a size bigger than my normal shoe all year, they fit well, are super comfortable. I have both studded felt and studded Vibram, been wearing the studded Vibram almost exclusively. The BOA works well gets plenty tight for me. I have about 300 trips on them and they are holding up well, showing some wear where the sole inserts into the toe. We'll see if they make another 100 trips this year. When they go I'll buy another pair without hesitation.
 
MJMFlyfisher said:
You guys with the BOAs.....they lace up snug enough for you for the full length of the laces portion, or do they get tighter up high than around the top of your foot?
Click to expand...
Here's the trick with the BOA. Put your waders on, get in your boots, lace up the BOA. I don't put my gravel guards down while I'm moving around getting my gear together. You will find when moving around any loose parts will work their way through to the top. I give my BOAs another couple turns, put the guards down and everything is good.
 
ryansheehan said:
Here's the trick with the BOA. Put your waders on, get in your boots, lace up the BOA. I don't put my gravel guards down while I'm moving around getting my gear together. You will find when moving around any loose parts will work their way through to the top. I give my BOAs another couple turns, put the guards down and everything is good.
Click to expand...
This 100%.
 
KELORGO said:
Totally agree with ryansheehan and 5alp.
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Same. Otherwise, you'll have to do this after walking in the boots for a few minutes in/along the stream. after that 2nd tightening, they're pretty much snug for the day.
 
Devil's Canyon. Love them wading and hiking. Because I track my pack weight closely I can tell you they weigh 66 oz but feel pretty light on the feet. The neoprene upper is pretty flexible when hiking so they're comfortable to/from the stream.

I'm a big fan of the BOA system and Korkers sells a repair kit that includes the wire, Allen key, and one or two other small parts for ~$7. I beat the hell out of my Korkers and never had a problem but I always carry a replacement kit with me. It's about the size of a leader pack.

One size up for your street shoe.
 
I LOVE Korkers boots BUT I'm not a fan of the BOA system. I can't seem to get them tight enough around the upper part of the ankle. I also think as many times as I have to twist the locking system I could have had my boots laced and tied up. I'm also worried about them breaking along the stream. Its never happened BUT its a lot easier to replace laces quickly along the stream which I have a spare pair in my bag then it is to replace the BOA system. As far as warranty goes Korkers is one of the best I've experienced!
 
I have not found that I need to size up in Korkers. I wear a 13 or 13w boot/shoe and 14 sneaker in several brands. Size 13 Korkers fit just fine, even with heavier socks. I like the BOA.

I've put lots of miles on my Devil's Canyons. They've been great to hike it.
 
ROVERT said:
I have not found that I need to size up in Korkers. I wear a 13 or 13w boot/shoe and 14 sneaker in several brands. Size 13 Korkers fit just fine, even with heavier socks. I like the BOA.

I've put lots of miles on my Devil's Canyons. They've been great to hike it.
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And THAT's the review that makes me hesitant to order them without trying first 😂
I wear a size 13 sneaker perfectly in just about every brand and my hunting boots and current wading boots are 13s as well.
It doesn't look like TCO carries them..... Hmmmm.
LOL
 
Amazon has the Dark Horse and Devil’s Canyon in stock in both 13 ad14. I couldn’t find either model in stock anywhere near local to try on.
 
MJMFlyfisher said:
And THAT's the review that makes me hesitant to order them without trying first 😂
I wear a size 13 sneaker perfectly in just about every brand and my hunting boots and current wading boots are 13s as well.
It doesn't look like TCO carries them..... Hmmmm.
LOL
Click to expand...

FWIW in my case of buying them a size bigger it’s due to width. I have very wide feet for their relative length. I suspect my street shoe size would be fine length wise.

Not sure if that helps, but anyhow.
 
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