Wet Wading Boots

[greenlander]

I posted about my search for wet wading boots last year and went in the direction many suggested, which was neoprene socks inside my normal wading boots.

It works okay, but I still find myself looking for something less bulky and with a better connection between my foot and the boot. Last year, I was looking for sneakers as well, but I'm fairly certain I'm in the market for a boot.

What's surprising, is that I'm finding very few wet wading boots (practically none) out there. If I find them, they're usually flats boots (and thus won't take studs and are meant for something entirely different).

I'm hoping for something lightweight with good ankle support that I can stud.

My assumption is that, should this product exist, it would offer lighter weight and be much nimbler than its counterparts that are sized and shaped to accept a neoprene bootie.

I'm finding it very hard to believe that no one is making something like this.

 

[pcray1231]

At the fly show, I bought an experimental pair of Chota's that were marketed as wet-wading boots. They were only like $20 at the show and I just got a size bigger and used them as regular wading boots. They were on the light side, but still certainly a boot and pretty comfortable. The sole was a combination of rubber and felt. Still have em, though the felt came out.

Don't know if it turned into an actual model or not but you could check their website.

The Cabela's ultralight is indeed light and comfy. I had one pair, longevity wasn't spectacular but it may work well for what you're looking for.

 

[pcray1231]

Just looked, it turned into the Chota Caney Fork. Pretty much the same boot I got for $20, but they did away with the felt bottoms and went with rubber that will accept studs, and they made the inside liner removable so that it can be used as a wet wading boot or a regular wading boot. And it's also now $159, lol. Looks like same base construction, though.

 

[greenlander]

pcray - thanks for looking into them. They look reasonable, but I'm not digging the custom stud system ... and the soles don't look generic stud friendly.

Still, will likely try to find a place to check them out.

I continue to be amazed at the absolute dearth of wet-wading specific wading boots.

 

[tomitrout]

expand your definition of 'wet wading boot' to include 'water shoes' and there's a good chance you'll be overwhelmed by the choices out there...Keen, Merrell, Teva, etc all offer full lines of water shoes that are ideal for what you're looking for. Maybe they won't all take studs, but you're wet wading, so does it really matter if you take a little swim on occasion? I have a pair of Merrells that I wear either with or without a neoprene sock and they've been great, now going on their third season.

 

[RCFetter]

Here's a link to Keen's men shoes>

Keen

I have a pair of their water shoes. They are about the most comfortable shoes I have.

On a related note, I recall a thread where someone mentioned health risks, bacterial infections, associated with wet wading. Does anyone have info on that?

 

[pcray1231]

There were at least 2 members of this board who got infections from water. The nasty type, the one's that don't wanna go away without an extended time period on antibiotics and recurring open sores.

I think in both cases it involved cutting themselves, and the bacteria getting in through the cut, but could be mistaken on that.

 

[greenlander]

tomitrout wrote:
expand your definition of 'wet wading boot' to include 'water shoes' and there's a good chance you'll be overwhelmed by the choices out there...Keen, Merrell, Teva, etc all offer full lines of water shoes that are ideal for what you're looking for. Maybe they won't all take studs, but you're wet wading, so does it really matter if you take a little swim on occasion? I have a pair of Merrells that I wear either with or without a neoprene sock and they've been great, now going on their third season.

tomi -

None of the offerings from those companies offer anything with ankle support. For someone who rolls an ankle easily, I really need something with ankle support.

As for the studdable -- I consider this essential as well. I don't care about getting wet, but I do care about broken ankles, bashed shins and other various gashes and cuts from slipping and falling onto rocks.

 

[Crotalus]

the korkers have potential, but no ankle support. What about an add-on ankle brace?

http://www.korkers.com/footwear/multi-sport/hyjack.html


never used any and i am not a podiatrist, but they might be as good or better than boots.

http://www.braceshop.com/productcart/pc/Ankle-Braces-c3.htm

 

[pcray1231]

I guess I still don't fully understand what you're looking for. They make wading boots in all shapes, weights, and sizes. You can wear any of them with or without neoprene socks underneath. It's a boot, just size it to fit however you want to wear it.

The lighter, more nimble "shoe like" boots are going to have the tradeoff of having less ankle support. They'll also be less likely to take studs because you have a thinner, more flexible sole.

Or you can go with a heavier option. They'll take your studs and give you the ankle support, but to do it they'll be heavier and more boot-like.

Ankle support and thickness of the sole is what differentiates a "shoe" from a "boot". But yes, they sell both, and plenty that walk the gray area in between.

 

[Ramcatt]

i really enjoy cutting my grass in these

 

[greenlander]

pcray1231 wrote:
I guess I still don't fully understand what you're looking for. They make wading boots in all shapes, weights, and sizes. You can wear any of them with or without neoprene socks underneath. It's a boot, just size it to fit however you want to wear it.

I suppose that you're might be right. I just don't expect wading boots that serve both purposes to be shaped to the foot as much as one geared specifically towards wet wading. A foot, regardless of what size, is shaped considerably differently when you put a thick neoprene bootie around it.

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. I can, however, recall there being wet-wading specific boots in the past.

 

[greenlander]

Ah, here's the one I was thinking of. Discontinued.

http://www.simmsfishing.com/site/simms_keen_wading_shoe.html

 

[brain]

i'm sorta a fan of korkers shoe. i have an older version that the hyjack shoe has now replaced. the biggest difference is the replaceable sole now covers the entire sole, not just a portion in the middle of the shoe.
the "sticky" rubber sole, is not so much. the felt is as good as any other fel, in the water... during the walk in, it's as bad as any other felt sole on land.

i'll probably be getting a pair of the hyjacks with the pre studded "sticky" rubber soles here soon. seems like the best of both worlds.

i have poor ankles as well...i can roll an ankle walking across a flat parking lot.....broke the both at different times many years ago, have some hardware in the left one. yet never had any issues in the creek.

i also have a pair of their boots for use with waders.

the shoes are two seasons old i think...one anyway.