Here are opposing views:
Will Vibram soles actually reduce contamination?
http://singlebarbed.com/2009/08/10/s...igible-factor/
Secondly, I personally disagree that Vibram outperforms felt other than in winter wading over snow. I wrote this on a previous thread:
I suggest you listen to Tom Rosenbauer's Orvis Podcast or read Preston's article in
Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, Winter 2010, pg. 18. Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis stated that at this time, NONE of the rubber soled boots equal felt in overall traction.
Preston tested
"Old Felt Soled" Weinbrenners against
New Rubber Soled Simms, Chota, Cloudveil, Korkers, Patagonia, & LL Bean boots. Preston tested multiple boots and not only the Simms boots, and in that regard, is a more comprehensive test of available rubber soled boots. Although I believe the the conditions of the test favored the new rubber soles,
none of them were a good as the USED WEINBRENNERS.
As Preston said in an earlier post, " Under the more slippery conditions of summer and fall none of them quite provided the grip of felt." In his article Preston stated, "It is still my, admittedly subjective opinion, that except under the cleanest (winter and cold) water conditions,
rubber soles, do not yet provide the same traction as felt soles."
Preston used non-studded boots because he wanted to test the pure traction of rubber vs felt. I agree with Preston's method since adding studs is not a pure test since the type of metal and surface area of the studs affects traction. Aluminum is the softest metal and provides the most traction, carbide points the least. Sheet metal screws being softer than carbide are intermediate. Carbide studs last the longest.
I need to state that I was a wading boot tester for Weinbrenner. I still use my original pair of test Weinbrenner Propex wading boots for Montana. So I think I know a bit about wading boots.
As a boot tester I know that new felt soles have better traction than used felt soles because thicker felt compresses and conforms to surface irregularities and increases traction. Worn thinner felt does not equal new felt in traction. If Preston had a new pair of Weinbrenners, I believe the difference between felt and rubber would have been greater.
I personally use separate sets of boots for Montana and for my native state of Wisconsin. This is a much better solution IMHO that a single boot set, even of rubber that will be used in multiple watersheds. Rubber soled boots still have fabric, laces, crevices and sewing that can harbor invasives. If you have a copy of Preston's article you can see that appears to be considerable fabric in the boot tongue, inner lining, and side panels of the Patagonia Riverwalker boot, which provided the best traction of the rubber soled boots he tested. All exposed fabric can harbor Dydimo.
Isolation with separate boots is the only solution that will keep invasive from spreading. Even then, other tackle such as Dacron line backing, furled thread leaders, wader fabric, gaiters, wading staffs, etc. can be carriers. Even flies are suspect.
Rubber soled boots can be sold on the basis of reducing but not eliminating the possibility of contamination.