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For all of you wet waders out there, what kind of wading shoes do you reccommend? I've been looking for a pair but can't decide what to get. I don't really like the looks of some of the sandals I've seen. I'm thinking something more like a hiking boot. Also, any particular kind of socks?
Thanks in advance,
hNt
I just wear my wading boots with neoprene booties and baseball socks; doesn't look too fashionable but it works fine.
Regards,
Scott
Pretty much the same as Scott. I use my regular wading boots. I used to use neoprene booties cut from an old pair of waders, but this year I bought neoprene wading booties that fit a little tighter and have a gravel cuff. And, regular socks under the booties, so I can get the booties on and off. I have a buddy who just bought a second pair of wading boots in size smaller and wears them over regular socks.
Depending on where you fish, I would recommend long pants and tucking your pants legs in. We have a lot nettles, wild parsnip, and the occasional stray barbed wire around here that can be bad on bare skin. I've also gotten bitten on the shins by leeches which makes for a pretty bloody mess. Long pants and tucking the pants legs in take care of those problems for the most part.
Cabela's has neoprene felt soled flats boots that might work. They zip up and used to be $35.
tl
les
Those are great for flats, but if I wore them onstream, I'd be flat on my back (or face) :DQuote:
Originally Posted by lestrout
Regards,
Scott
I'm with the others here, wearing my regular wading shoes with a pair of neoprene booties. I think I've relayed this before on this board, but a short trip wet wading with my son years ago changed my outlook forever on wearing sandals for wading. He had boots on thankfully, but when we got out of the water, he had a huge baitfishing hook buried in the side of his boots. It occurred to me then that sandals or something else with thin mesh and/or openings around the perimeter of the shoe might not be the best choice for wandering around a streambottom littered with hooks from various sources.
On the Chattahoochee tail water there are sections where you are wading on rock and moss and sections where you are wading on dirt. A lug would probably work better on the dirt and felt on the rocks. I have done a little wading in the black water creeks of south Mississippi where the bottom is sandy. The ideal shoe is going to depend upon what the bottom is where you are fishing. I know felt is slick on dirt and rubber is slick on rocks.
I would really like to just use a pair of sneakers, but the soles aren't very grippy - wondering about applying barge cement and some kind of grit - like they used to put on snow tires?
the biggest argument for using your regular wading boots in my book is safety. boots are good with waders--why not without waders? made a huge mistake the first time i went bass fishing: the sandals just didn't keep my feet and ankles safe amongst the rocks, and the lack of support made me really tired at the end of the day. add that tale above about the huge hook in the side of sonny's boot...that just confirmed my opinion. heavy sox and neoprene booties may seem bulky when you're wearing a swimsuit on top, but the hazards under the water don't change with the weather...feet need more than a bikini!
I saw a post somewhere recently where a guy was cementing cutouts from carpet square to some old Converse high tops. I have contemplated the use of soft spikes like most country clubs not require for golfers. Before soft spikes golfer destroyed floors in club houses and slipped and fell; afterward they slipped and fell more on greens, or so I was told.Quote:
Originally Posted by herefishy
Just to add a thought. A friend of mine suggested wearing the "ice gripper" thingies on your shoes. By this I mean the pull over ones like Yak Trax. Haven't tried it yet but sounds good.
Mike
I use a pair of Keen Gorge boots for wet wading and paddling. They are a mid height neoprene boot. The soles are pretty good for our mud and flat rock streams. I think I would opt for my regular wading boots for rocky streams. The ones I've been in, Tennessee and Michigan, I wear waders... I must have a different definition of cold water than some.
http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/pr...ont/gorge boot
I use Keen H2 sandals if it is hot and there aren't a lot of big rocks. Otherwise I wear a pair of Orvis Riverguard ultralights.
I bought a pair of good quality studded felt wading boots that fit over regular cotton socks when I found them in a close-out sale a couple years ago. They give me the grip and ankle support I need - but I'd be just as happy to use my regular boots with neoprene inserts if I hadn't found those boots at half price. Cliff
I can recommend the NRS boundry water sock for wet wading. This is a knee high neoprene sock made for canoeing and kayaking with portages. It is fully seam sealed has a cuff seal at the top that actually keeps most of the water out. They come right up to the pit of my knee, the tallest sock i have found. I wear mine over some light poloypro sock liners for comfort.
http://www.nrs.com/product/2347/nrs-...with-hydrocuff
They also make a vesion with a sole...
http://www.nrs.com/product/2308/nrs-boundary-shoe