Wading boots/shoes?

[Bamboozle]

Two things to add:

1. Other parts of a wading shoe beside the sole can transfer invasives so rubber soles are not a substitute for diligence.

2. The worst thing to happen to wading shoes in regards to traction is the elimination by most companies of a stacked heel in favor of the cheaper alternative, the wedge heel/sole combo.

If you ever owned a pair of wading shoes with a stacked heel (the OLD version of Chota STL's, Weinbrenner's, Russell's) you know how much that little ledge at the heel can save your a$$ when you start to slip.

With a wedge sole there is nothing to stop you except the grip of the sole or studs.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, I’m not a fan of the BOA’s. Laces for me. If you break a lace, you can tie a simple knot and keep on going, not a day ruining event. And replacement laces are cheap. Have had buddies blow a BOA lace before though a few miles from the vehicle and that didn’t look like a whole lot of fun, flopping around in a loose boot the rest of the day.

From my experience with the Korkers soles they don’t fail catastrophically. There’s enough snaps/connection points in them that if one does break or the loop on the heal breaks you can get through the day still with them. If you’re on a multi day trip, not a bad idea to have a spare around. I bought a pair of the upgraded metal studded rubber soles, and if I’m on a multi day trip I carry the regular rubber soles they came with as backups.

 

[coyoterahn]

I'm pretty old school so when buddies got BOA lacing system and korkers with replaceable soles, I watched and waited. After seeing BOA break and seeing guys having soles of korkers fall off, I stayed with traditional stuff. Felts are the worst things ever in the snow. They aren't much better on sloppy mid banks. No amount of studs will help with that problem.

I‘ll 2nd that comment on felts in the snow. I was on BFC in Columbia county years ago in the snow. On my walk to the stream I went from 6’ to 6’ 5” in a minute. My buddy and I couldn’t wait to get to the stream to melt that snow which made it feel like you were walking with bowling balls strapped to your feet!

 

[jifigz]

I've never had felt. I've never had Korkers with changeable soles. I've never used studs. I've never had a Boa closure system. I just use plain old wading boots with laces and a lug sole. I have only fallen a couple times fishing in my life and I'm not afraid to wade aggressively. All times I've fallen have been due to my fault being an idiot like stepping off a ledge, falling on ice, etc. I see no reason to change.

 

[John57]

Yeah, I’m not a fan of the BOA’s. Laces for me. If you break a lace, you can tie a simple knot and keep on going, not a day ruining event. And replacement laces are cheap. Have had buddies blow a BOA lace before though a few miles from the vehicle and that didn’t look like a whole lot of fun, flopping around in a loose boot the rest of the day.

From my experience with the Korkers soles they don’t fail catastrophically. There’s enough snaps/connection points in them that if one does break or the loop on the heal breaks you can get through the day still with them. If you’re on a multi day trip, not a bad idea to have a spare around. I bought a pair of the upgraded metal studded rubber soles, and if I’m on a multi day trip I carry the regular rubber soles they came with as backups.

I've been wearing Korkers with replaceable soles for years and I always carry a pair of the rubber soles in my pack in the event of a blowout. I've only had one incident on the water where I had to swap them out, and that was when the heal strap got cut on a ledge as I was climbing down an embankment. In that case I probably could have gone the rest of the day without a major issue.
Back when I was wearing felt soles exclusively I spent enough time under water to qualify for my divers certification, never mind the biological issues. Going back to anything with felt soles is a hard NO for me.

 

[falcon]

I had a pair of lower price Korkers fail before much wear. Korkers replaced them They are good to deal with. The higher end boots are probably better and more durable.

 

[Swattie87]

I had a pair of lower price Korkers fail before much wear. Korkers replaced them They are good to deal with. The higher end boots are probably better and more durable.

What failed on them?

All of my boots ultimately fail by blowing the inside seam, near your big toe. Must be my feet and/or gait. Korkers have held up by FAR the longest of any brand I’ve tried though. (I’ve historically bought whatever their mid-line boot was at the time, Buckskins currently FWIW.)

 

[falcon]

The inside seam like yours. I only had to send a picture to Korkers. The replacement pair held up better. I have more durable boots now. 2 pairs. I bought them on discount. Good for awhile now.

A friend had one of his soles separate. He called Korkers and emailed a pic and got replacement soles. He has had no problems since.
Boots take a lot of abuse and constantly being wet then drying doesn't help.

It is a wonder that they last as long as they do.

 

[John57]

I had a pair of lower price Korkers fail before much wear. Korkers replaced them They are good to deal with. The higher end boots are probably better and more durable.

I'm fishing pretty much year round and also doing a lot of blue line fishing so they're seeing a lot of use/abuse. I've gone through 2 pair so far and they've both held up for about 4-5 years (outsoles replaced every other year). What has been wearing out on mine is the inside liner, so for the price I'm perfectly happy with them.
NOTE: As I commented in a previous forum I am looking to switch to a lighter pair of wading boot (Simms Flyweights) only because I plan on doing a lot more walking to get to the places I want to fish in the future and the Korkers are a little heavy for the extended hikes.

 

[falcon]

I don't notice the weight when in the water but you are right extensive walking is different. I have a pair of G3 Simms that are holding up really well after 5 years. I also have a pair of mid price Patagonias. Both I got on closeout when the newer models came out. At some point I may get Korkers (the better model) as I like the different soles. The G3 boots were 175 and the Pats about a 100. Boots are getting spendy. I take care of mine ... washing them down and drying them slowly. I don't leave them in a hot car.

 

[krayfish2]

I have a pair of G3's that are getting long in the tooth and a pair of riversheds that are held together by aquaseal. They probably won't make 3 more trips.

Last spring, I grabbed a pair of these in felt and a second pair in rubber before Christmas. I can't speak for durability yet but think they will be ok. Comfortable, lightweight and relatively pleased so far.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-hiker-20-wading-boots-for-men

 

[McSneek]

Anyone see Simms new G4s? They appear to come with the same plastic spikes that go in golf shoes these days. I can’t believe those would provide traction in a stream. Would be good for hiking but I honestly think they‘d be hazardous on wet rock. $500!!! I don‘t really need new boots but might pick up a pair of the old G4s on sale somewhere.

 

[Bamboozle]

You can wear the $500 G4's with a pair of the $1000 G4Z waders and have yourself a, "gee wiz, I must be a moron to spend that much on wading gear" moment...

I'm sorry but those prices are insane...

 

[Mrangler]

I don’t mean to open a can of worms but does anyone have a problem with the noise that is created by having rubber soles and studs. I wear hearing aids and still don’t hear very well and have no problem hearing those damdable studs on the creek bottom. If I can hear it ,imagine the fish. I own both felt and rubber. I prefer felt for the most part. I’m just curious what others think.

 

[Bamboozle]

Rocks and gravel underfoot make a crunching sound when you walk on them, even if you are barefoot...

...just sayin'.

 

[falcon]

Sure they make noise. So does the splash one makes when slipping and falling in. Felt or vibram sans cleats is better in that regard to the noise factor. Different soles have their pro and cons. I use cleats or felt on different water or depending on the slip factor.

The grating sound of cleats on stones certainly doesn't help one's stealth.

 

[wildtrout2]

You can wear the $500 G4's with a pair of the $1000 G4Z waders and have yourself a, "gee wiz, I must be a moron to spend that much on wading gear" moment...

I'm sorry but those prices are insane...

Yep, $1500 would cover more than a few mountain excursions.

 

[John57]

I have a pair of G3's that are getting long in the tooth and a pair of riversheds that are held together by aquaseal. They probably won't make 3 more trips.

Last spring, I grabbed a pair of these in felt and a second pair in rubber before Christmas. I can't speak for durability yet but think they will be ok. Comfortable, lightweight and relatively pleased so far.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-hiker-20-wading-boots-for-men

Krayfish,
Let me know how they hold up for ya....I looked at them once before when they did have them in stock over at Bass Pro.

 

[John57]

You can wear the $500 G4's with a pair of the $1000 G4Z waders and have yourself a, "gee wiz, I must be a moron to spend that much on wading gear" moment...

I'm sorry but those prices are insane...

Not even if I did have that kind of money.......

 

[Canoetripper]

I haven't had any problems with my Korker's with replaceable soles and BOA lacing system. I know that I don't fish nearly as often as a lot of other board members. I average two, 3-4 day weekends a month.

I also don't have to hike very far either. I do have a backup plan for if and when these wading boots fail.