I could not have said it better. Thank you Mr. Bamboozle.
fishbum
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Not here in Montana, yet. Lots of grumbling though.
Sometimes I wish I had not purchases my felt-soled wading shoes at the beginning of last season. I think I wear out my felt from hiking on the rocks & boulders more than from wading. On my walks back to the car I wonder if a rubber-soled shoe/boot would feel better walking on dry ground.
One of our local guides and shop owner is really upset about the transition from felt to rubber. He's convinced that personal safety is taking a backseat to a politcially correct idea.
If I read it right, the Montana bill didn't make it out of committe which means it is dead, not being implimented, which means I'm okay for this July at West Yellowstone.
I've found that plain rubber isn't too bad for walking on dry ground, but on some of my boots that have the pointed type of studs I can feel the studs and they are anything but comfortable to walk in on a dry, hard surface.
I also have a pair of Simms Guide boots with rubber soles and flat metal cleats that are not as uncomfortable to walk in on dry ground, but these boots are heavy, so I wouldn't want to walk in them any great distance.
The problem I have is that rubber without cleats is virtually useless for wading in most places I fish, so I rarely have plain rubber soled boots to walk on (except I have done that with my Simms Guide boots where the spikes are removable).
While I have been known to hike 10+ miles in water logged felt soled wading shoes when WET wading, it isn't exactly my favorite pastime but I know I can do it. So on a few occasions when I know I'm going in and out the same way; I'll bring my GPS and hike in wearing a less loved proper pair of hiking shoes and stash them in the woods near my starting spot marking it with my GPS so I can find them for the hike out.
So far it has worked out well although I expect some day to find them MIA or see some bear walking around with hiking boots on. ;)