With HARD use, I give all boot foot waders I’ve used to the ends of their serviceable lives three years based upon my work experience and barring any catastrophic failure associated with an unusual event like a major tear on barbed wire. The first year is glorious after having come off of a third year of patching leaks right and left. The second year has a few easily manageable leaks, such as a few pin holes. The third year seems as though it will be like year two in the beginning, but soon enough all H breaks loose and lots of time is spent on repairs. The leaks almost never involve the boot foot portion unless one steps on a nail or some other sharp object, or trips over barbed wire on the creek bottom. Punctures of the sole are pretty easily repaired; actual boot tears in the foot area are not.
Now that I’m not working and only fishing, so far I have gotten 5 yrs out of the same brand and type of boot foot waders that I was wearing for work and have only suffered perhaps 5 pin hole leaks. Soles are getting pretty worn from walking. At the time I paid about $85-$90 for those boots.
