Wading boots

After reading through this thread and countless reviews I've narrowed my wading boot selection down to Weinbrenner felt with cleats and Chota STL rubber with cleats. Could anyone with some experience with these help me make the decision? The prices are close enough that it's not an issue.

I tend not to take any big fishing trips, so I stick to PA streams. Due to that, I feel like I can justify felt bottoms. Though, I'm 29 and do a lot of hiking in and out, going up steep, rocky banks. For that, maybe the rubber would be better.

My previous waders were Orvis bootfoot felts and were pretty good, but I slipped a ton on muddy shores, rocks, banks, etc. I even banged up my rod and reel a few times taking spills.

So, should I go with the classic style of the Weinbrenners (which are also discontinued, I believe) or the Chotas. These are Chota STL, but not STL Plus, I think. Does anyone know the difference between regular STLs and STL plus?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
 
I'm on my third pair and my buddy is still using the Chota boots he go 6-7 years ago. That alone will have me looking at them once my current boots wear out. I don't think you can go wrong with Chotas and the price is fair!
 
Chota manufactures for Cabela's too. The cabelas branded boots that look like chotas are chotas. They even still have the chota branded instructions for stud installation. You can save a few bucks that way, which appeals to me since I rock a pair of didymo boots. The cheaper chota made cabelas boots are perfect.
 
Dear beefheart,

While they aren't the lightest boots made the Weinbrenner Ultimate studded wading shoes are the finest, most supportive, and most ruggedly built wading shoes you will ever own.

If you are over the age of 30 you might not last as long as the boots! If you wear the soles out a shoemaker can replace them easily.

Madison River Fly Shop had them on clearance for $ 69.99 but them may all be gone now.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
I like my cabela's boots with studs and an aggressive sole. Can't complain about the quality or wear, and the price was great.
 
>>While they aren't the lightest boots made the Weinbrenner Ultimate studded wading shoes are the finest, most supportive, and most ruggedly built wading shoes you will ever own.

If you are over the age of 30 you might not last as long as the boots! If you wear the soles out a shoemaker can replace them easily.>>

That's what I always thought too..

Now, I'm not so sure.

I bought a pair of the Weinbrenner's not long after Borger lent his name to them. Had to be close to 30 years ago. They were bulletproof and I re-felted them 3 times before the uppers got to the point where it just didn't make sense any more.

Page forward about 25 years..

I bought a pair of the studded Weinbrenners in 2007. They made it through that season and half of the next one before they pretty much exploded. The uppers began to separate from the sole and the inner sole began to pull away from the outer sole (the one you would apply new felt to). Half the eyelets were on the verge of tearing out. I called them up in Merrill and complained, saying these were not the Borger Boots I remember. To their credit, they had me return them and sent me a new pair. The new pair lasted a little longer. They started to come apart about 2/3 of the way through the 2010 season. I aquasealed and eposyed the crap out of them and got an awl and did some restitiching. Then I refelted them, so far so good. I don't trust them though. And that's a helluva thing to say about Borger Boots.

So, while I would recommend them to anybody, I don't think they are quite the shoe for durability and all that they were in the oldy days.
 
Hey guys,

FYI Weinbrenner is no longer making wading shoes. Just last month I emailed them to see if they handled them still (Not on their web site) or repaired them, (20 yr old pair of mine needs resoled) and they said they got out of the wading shoe market due to all of the laws being passed on felts. I can't speak about the shoes they put out in the past years, but my old ones are still going strong, except needing new felt.

Thanks,
Michael
 
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