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paflyfisherman
Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2010
- Messages
- 61
Considering Chota STL wading boots. Comments and opinions will be appreciated.
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ohmatt
New member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2021
- Messages
- 11
Love my Chota STL+. Hiked miles in them comfortably.
I can't speak to long term durability because even though I have had them for 8 years I don't have home water so I only get out a dozen or so days a year.
Tip: Kold Kutter 3/8" #8 fit securely in the rubber sockets. No need to buy the super expensive carbide; $25 will get you 250 spikes that you can flat file sharpen a couple times then recycle.
I can't speak to long term durability because even though I have had them for 8 years I don't have home water so I only get out a dozen or so days a year.
Tip: Kold Kutter 3/8" #8 fit securely in the rubber sockets. No need to buy the super expensive carbide; $25 will get you 250 spikes that you can flat file sharpen a couple times then recycle.
Bamboozle
Well-known member
A bit long but...
I can't say enough great things about them. They are about all I have used for years now.
They are roomy, comfortable and durable but NOT stiff and unyielding like many of the ski boot-like wading shoes out there, yet IMHO they provide excellent support. If you like stiff unyielding wading shoes… look elsewhere!!
I don’t want to get into philosophical arguments over wearing felt or whether aluminum bars are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Chota STL’s are felt & studs so you know what you are getting. That being said, the Chota synthetic felt grips and wears well and the plastic stud mounts keep your studs from falling out and are recessed so the studs don’t stick out too far.
The Chota supplied studs bite great, but like all hardened studs, they do wear out rather quickly so I use Orvis Posi-Grip carbide screw-in studs instead. I have also used Grip Studs in them.
Chota’s also have a TRUE stacked heel, not a wedge heel built into the sole like just about every other wading shoe. You would never realize it unless you have worn a wading shoe with a true heel but that raised reel edge will help stop you from sliding. That means you have less chance of slipping and falling and better overall footing. I won’t buy a wading shoe with a wedge heel which is another reason I am most often in Chota STL’s.
A couple of caveats:
The shock cord laces WILL break if you pull the crap out of them but you can replace them with heavier shock cord, paracord or regular laces if you wish. I find that pulling the shock cord S-L-O-W-L-Y makes them last for a LONG time.
You can’t replace the soles or heel so they are a throwaway wading shoe once that sole wears out completely. I get several years out of mine but I’m not fishing 150+ days a year either.
I did prematurely ruin an old pair by using the toe of one shoe to push off the other shoe. That caused the heel to separate from the midsole. That was TOTALLY my fault because I also ruined a pair of regular boots doing the same thing.
I wised up and now carry a boot jack in my wader bag which I should have done years ago because it makes getting any boot off a 100 times easier and will help that from happening again.
The leather outer WILL shrink over time like all leather once it gets wet however, so does natural & synthetic materials in plastic wading shoes. With leather, when it gets wet it stretches right out again. I have never treated mine although I guess you could if you wanted to. Any leather cracking I have experienced has been minor and occurred after years of use, about when the shoes are on their last legs anyway.
In regards to sizing, I wear a 10-1/2 D street shoe. In winter, I use a thin wool sock liner and a heavy wool sock over that plus the Neoprene bootie of my waders. The rest of the year, I wet wade and wear a thick wool sock over my foot with a Neoprene “guard sock” over that.
With every wading shoe I ever used including Chota’s, I buy a size 12. The fit isn’t cramped in winter, it feels fine other times when wet wading and even when the shoes start to shrink, it isn’t a total pain to get my foot in the shoe.
At minimum, I’d go a size above your street shoe and make up any sloppiness (if you think there IS any) with a heavier sock OR an extra shock absorbing insole. You will be glad you did when it gets cold or the leather shrinks. If possible, try them on with the set-up you normally use when wading.
Coincidentally, I recently christened a brand new pair I bought years ago on sale to have as a back-up. I will be hunting for another back-up pair soon because I have such confidence in the product.
Good luck with whatever you buy!
I can't say enough great things about them. They are about all I have used for years now.
They are roomy, comfortable and durable but NOT stiff and unyielding like many of the ski boot-like wading shoes out there, yet IMHO they provide excellent support. If you like stiff unyielding wading shoes… look elsewhere!!
I don’t want to get into philosophical arguments over wearing felt or whether aluminum bars are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Chota STL’s are felt & studs so you know what you are getting. That being said, the Chota synthetic felt grips and wears well and the plastic stud mounts keep your studs from falling out and are recessed so the studs don’t stick out too far.
The Chota supplied studs bite great, but like all hardened studs, they do wear out rather quickly so I use Orvis Posi-Grip carbide screw-in studs instead. I have also used Grip Studs in them.
Chota’s also have a TRUE stacked heel, not a wedge heel built into the sole like just about every other wading shoe. You would never realize it unless you have worn a wading shoe with a true heel but that raised reel edge will help stop you from sliding. That means you have less chance of slipping and falling and better overall footing. I won’t buy a wading shoe with a wedge heel which is another reason I am most often in Chota STL’s.
A couple of caveats:
The shock cord laces WILL break if you pull the crap out of them but you can replace them with heavier shock cord, paracord or regular laces if you wish. I find that pulling the shock cord S-L-O-W-L-Y makes them last for a LONG time.
You can’t replace the soles or heel so they are a throwaway wading shoe once that sole wears out completely. I get several years out of mine but I’m not fishing 150+ days a year either.
I did prematurely ruin an old pair by using the toe of one shoe to push off the other shoe. That caused the heel to separate from the midsole. That was TOTALLY my fault because I also ruined a pair of regular boots doing the same thing.
I wised up and now carry a boot jack in my wader bag which I should have done years ago because it makes getting any boot off a 100 times easier and will help that from happening again.
The leather outer WILL shrink over time like all leather once it gets wet however, so does natural & synthetic materials in plastic wading shoes. With leather, when it gets wet it stretches right out again. I have never treated mine although I guess you could if you wanted to. Any leather cracking I have experienced has been minor and occurred after years of use, about when the shoes are on their last legs anyway.
In regards to sizing, I wear a 10-1/2 D street shoe. In winter, I use a thin wool sock liner and a heavy wool sock over that plus the Neoprene bootie of my waders. The rest of the year, I wet wade and wear a thick wool sock over my foot with a Neoprene “guard sock” over that.
With every wading shoe I ever used including Chota’s, I buy a size 12. The fit isn’t cramped in winter, it feels fine other times when wet wading and even when the shoes start to shrink, it isn’t a total pain to get my foot in the shoe.
At minimum, I’d go a size above your street shoe and make up any sloppiness (if you think there IS any) with a heavier sock OR an extra shock absorbing insole. You will be glad you did when it gets cold or the leather shrinks. If possible, try them on with the set-up you normally use when wading.
Coincidentally, I recently christened a brand new pair I bought years ago on sale to have as a back-up. I will be hunting for another back-up pair soon because I have such confidence in the product.
Good luck with whatever you buy!
P
paflyfisherman
Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2010
- Messages
- 61
Thanks for the great review! I appreciate it.
