Wading Boots - Required?

I'm a frequent fly-fisher, but mostly I fish from the bank of small streams that can either be jumped or stepped across. I do have a pair of boot-foot neoprene waders that I use occasionally in larger streams, but they are heavy, hot, and do not fit well. I'm aware that the modern standard for fishing waders is waterproof-breathable, with stocking-feet. These do seem attractive, and I've been tempted to buy a pair, but I've never been able to understand the thinking about wading boots.

Attachment 13063

When I look at waders for sale, I see they typically range from $100 up to about $400 or so, with most of the difference in things like how many pockets, whether the knees are reinforced, and how many layers of material are used. What doesn't make sense is that most outlets that sell waders, even the budget variety that are below $100, also sell wading boots. These boots are typically over $100. So now my budget pair of waders, instead of costing $100, actually cost over $200 with boots considered. The cost of boots is less significant compared to the higher-end waders, but even there, the cost of boots must be considered as part of the total budget.

Here's my question: is it total heresy to just use old sneakers with a pair of waders? Will sneakers that fit my feet with just socks still work over wader booties, or will I need a bigger size? I'm aware of the safety hazard with sneakers on slippery rocks, but are expensive wading boots (that restrict lower leg motion and use hard, slippery rubber) any better? Much of the time I wade, it is wet wading in the warmer months, and my old sneakers do just fine, if I'm careful. And if I do get a pair of boots, what else are they good for, or are they a single-use item?

What do you think?

waskeyc,

I use breathable waders year round on large rivers except in July and August, the hot months. That is mainly based on the temp of the water not so much on the temp of the air. On very small streams like what you showed, waders are not really needed. Wet wading is fine. I either wear wading sandals or wading shoes with felt soles. I use the wading shoes if I feel I will need some ankle support while walking over fist sized rocks and such. One advantage that waders do have is they help keep the ticks off you, as long as you keep them brushed off your upper body. When wet wading I tuck the cuffs of my long pants into my socks or use a strap to close off the bottom, as a means of tick control. I hate ticks with a passion. An old pair of tennis shoes can work just fine but they usually tend to be slippery on wet mossy rocks. My wading boots also came with rubber soles but they have spikes in the to grab on the slippery stuff. Not my first choice to use but they work.

Larry ---sagefisher---

one thing to consider is that wading boots GENERALLY do better at keeping out sand, gravel, and debris than do sneakers. Even with good wading boots and gravel gaitors/cuffs, a lot of sand and junk gets into the boots. The more sand and abrasive junk that gets into your boots/sneakers, the faster it wears through the neoprene booties.

Not necessarily a recommendation but in "the old days" we would glue out door carpeting to the soles of our sneakers.

In "the old days", as ducksterman says, I used an old pair of high top basketball shoes. They were slippery as heck, but somehow I survived. If you go that route, I would glue felt to the soles. You would probably want a size bigger than normal. Too tight wading shoes lead to cramped toes and cold feet. I also remember guys getting Vietnam era "jungle boots", grinding the lugs off the soles and gluing on felt or carpet. By the time you do all that you might as well buy dedicated wading boots.

I think there are still economy wading boots available or look around for closeouts etc.

I have no experience with these and they probably don't provide much ankle support but if you happen to be a size 8 or 10: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

I wonder if a pair of wellies/rubber boots would work.

Ed

i have a friend that quit buying wading boots. He buys inexpensive hiking boots large enough to fit over the wader booties. He says they last as long as other wading boots he has bought. It probably depends on how slippery your streams are

For the size water you state you wade the most, I would invest in wading boots/shoes like Jayawork gave you a link to and then instead of purchasing chest waders, I would invest in a set of breathable hippers. Stocking foot hippers would not be as hot and would provide some protection from briars and other plants that would be offensive to your bare legs. I feel boot foot hippers would be too heavy after awhile of hiking and stocking foot with wading shoes would be much better. Look around the web and fly shops and look at stocking foot hippers. They even have wading boots that are very light and look similar to tennis shoes. From the picture of the streams you wade, I would think a light pair of wading shoes/boots would provide better ankle support on rocks.

I have a pair of breathable waders and the boots. They work great but this time of year they are to hot. (At least they are for a big guy like myself LOL). So I bought a pair of neoprene booties from little river outfitters. They are basically the neoprene stocking part of the wader. They have the gravel gaurd and allow me to use my felt sole wading boots year round. Which makes that particular investment a little easier to justify. And I've had all the knee surgeries I ever want and love the felt soles. The streams I fish are literally covered with slick rocks on bottom. Little River Outfitters are top notch in my honest opinion and offer free shipping, but I'm sure some of our sponsors probably carry the neoprene booties as well. They are made by Simms.

Hope that helps,
hNt

Wading boots are more comfortable for both hiking into and out of the stream and wading the stream. They are basically a hiking boot these days, but with extra protection around the heels and soles to protect your toes and to protect from wear. I wouldn't even think of wearing sneakers.

I own 2 pair. One felt bottom with spikes and one lug sole bottom. Both made by Chota. I change up based on the stream I am fishing.

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/foo...s-wading-boot/

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/foo...k-wading-boot/

Falling in a river can be very dangerous even on a small stream. You could hit your head. That being said, I can't see why an angler wouldn't want the best footing possible, which I believe is felt or the new rubber soles with studs.

Randy

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Originally Posted by joekrz

Wading boots are more comfortable for both hiking into and out of the stream and wading the stream. They are basically a hiking boot these days, but with extra protection around the heels and soles to protect your toes and to protect from wear. I wouldn't even think of wearing sneakers.

I own 2 pair. One felt bottom with spikes and one lug sole bottom. Both made by Chota. I change up based on the stream I am fishing.

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/foo...s-wading-boot/

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/foo...k-wading-boot/

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Joe,

Didn't you stock up on the Borger Boots at the Weinbrenner factory second store?

Look what the shops that have them are charging for the remaining stock of boots.

http://www.iflyshop.com/Weinbrenner-...ELT_p_475.html

http://www.thehuskyangler.com/boots.html

Silver,
I wish I would have picked upa few more . I got an extra pair two years ago from MRFC before they ran out. Great boots but I don't think I'll pay 250.00 +'for a pair. Too bad, they were the best boots available.
Best,
Steve

4 knee surgeries, one directly related to a mid-stream fall, with stream cleats on and a separated shoulder 2 feet from the bank of the Madison River, with studded Vibram (despite what my wife may say, I'm not a clumsy person); I buy the best boots I can afford, for safety (and comfort).

Regards,
Scott

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Originally Posted by Silver Creek

Joe,

Didn't you stock up on the Borger Boots at the Weinbrenner factory second store?

Look what the shops that have them are charging for the remaining stock of boots.

http://www.iflyshop.com/Weinbrenner-...ELT_p_475.html

http://www.thehuskyangler.com/boots.html

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No. Was never a fan of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

4 knee surgeries, one directly related to a mid-stream fall, with stream cleats on and a separated shoulder 2 feet from the bank of the Madison River, with studded Vibram (despite what my wife may say, I'm not a clumsy person); I buy the best boots I can afford, for safety (and comfort).

Regards,
Scott

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I tried vibram once and wasn't impressed at all. Had the boots for a week and sold them. Nothing beats studded felt soles on rivers with slippery rocks.

Good friend of mine was recently down on the Holston River in Tennessee...he was texting me fishing reports and pics and told me that the river was very slippery and he fell in a few times already and bruised his knees. I asked him what his boots were and he said vibram. I told him to visit the local fly shop and buy some felt soles with cleats. Later that day he texted me and couldn't thank me enough.

I only use my lug sole boots where slippery rocks are not involved.

I have used these for years. Mostly with flippers in a tube or pontoon, but they work great in small streams. When I bought my first pair they were $25.00. Wore them out in about 4 years and got my second pair a size larger. Still $25.00. I notice they have almost doubled in price but so has everything else since I got a fixed income. Still a good deal. Jim
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Footw...3Bcat104674680

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Originally Posted by joekrz

I tried vibram once and wasn't impressed at all. Had the boots for a week and sold them. Nothing beats studded felt soles on rivers with slippery rocks.

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Joe,

Agree that straight Vibram is nothing special. I would have gone with studded felt but I fish a lot in MD, where felt was banned in 2011, so studded Vibram it is; works pretty well and I have no fear of hiking through snow, gaining an inch in height with every step.

Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

Joe,

Agree that straight Vibram is nothing special. I would have gone with studded felt but I fish a lot in MD, where felt was banned in 2011, so studded Vibram it is; works pretty well and I have no fear of hiking through snow, gaining an inch in height with every step.

Regards,
Scott

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These are the non-felt boots I occasionally wear. Whatever Dual Density ATX100 is, I feel it is better than vibram from my personal experience.

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/foo...k-wading-boot/

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Originally Posted by Ed_D

I wonder if a pair of wellies/rubber boots would work. Ed

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Ed, years ago when I worked for a large hotel company and salesman lavished me with products to try, I tried a pair of hiking boots with slip resistant soles for wet wading out in Utah one weekend. The boots were designed for wet tile floors, etc., and work great there. One stream rocks they were not at all slip resistant, I suspect rubber boots would be even worse. I think if I were going to try rubber soles, I would add some short hex headed sheet metal screws (studs) to the bottom. A friend in Phoenix does use what I would call rubber barn boots for easing around the edges of small streams but not really wading.

years ago I had the LL Bean some kind of rubber / studded boots. worked well out west but I damn near killed myself on the rocky streams inthe SNP and PA. freestone streams.Switched to he Weinbrenners felt and felt- studded and wading was less of a suicide walk. Haven't looked at the market recently but since the Borgers are no longer available I'll need to replace
best,
Steve

you can buy "used" boots for a lot less... depending on the boot & condition. I wouldn't wade without them... too old, too many dunks, one bad car wreck. (by the way, what size street shoe do you wear? I've just upgraded to new boots & may have an "extra" pair)

If you're looking for both hiking and wading boots I'd go with a pair of Korkers. (Which is what I have.) You can change the soles.

Randy

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Originally Posted by randyflycaster

If you're looking for both hiking and wading boots I'd go with a pair of Korkers. (Which is what I have.) You can change the soles.

Rany

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Have they improved those yet? I've heard lots of stories about the interchangeable soles popping off in addition to sand and grit getting into the dial for the laces and then it quits working.

I suppose it all centers around what kind of water one is going to be wading in.

My wading days in waist deep water are about over, I'm not as stable as once upon a time. So these days hip boots are the limit to keep me in knee high water. And that's cool/cold water. There are a couple of streams I'll wade even as the water warms some and there I still like just plain ole' angle high canvas sneakers along with blue jeans, and I'll slosh around and try and catch something. Also, what I do depends on the what kind of a stream bottom I'm wading around in - like a gravel or sandy bottom, like to wade light, water temp permitting. Nothing elaborate in price, something like I posted below (if it posts!).


http://www.dhgate.com/product/couple...2-1|1770744034

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Originally Posted by joekrz

Have they improved those yet? I've heard lots of stories about the interchangeable soles popping off in addition to sand and grit getting into the dial for the laces and then it quits working.

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nope. not true. (Boa's got a tool to undo the "dial" then you can rinse it out if you're paranoid)

I help out with the casting clinics that Orvis sponsors for free and they give us a discount so I'll probably look there first and see if Weinbreener will repair/ resole my old ones.I just picked up a pair of Korkers for my one son and a pair of entry level Orvis for my other one so I should get some feedback from them on how they work. Will be fishing with them this weekend.
Best,
Steve

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Originally Posted by Chaos

nope. not true. (Boa's got a tool to undo the "dial" then you can rinse it out if you're paranoid)

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I'm not paranoid, but here is my friends experience with Korkers he bought last year...

Bought a pair new at the beginning of the season and while I did fish a lot this year (pretty much every weekend from the beginning of early season, plus a few full weeks, and 2 weeks in Alaska) the boots were retired before my steelhead trip last weekend. From the get go I found the boots to be troublesome (in the least) when fishing silty spring creeks. It isn't much fun worrying about whether the soles stayed attached when trucking through muck... and they did fall off quite a few times. As mentioned earlier, the BOA lacing system doesn't really allow for a tight fit and it clogs pretty easily with sand/grit. The final straw for me was when the knob on the back which the soles attach to, ripped off. I used the rubber and rubber studded soles and pretty much destroyed both. Many studs and chunks of rubber are now missing. As a whole I couldn't have been more displeased with the boots. They were the most expensive boots I've purchased and they're the only pair that didn't make it through a full season. I'm sending them back with hopes that their warranty is worth a darn.

I've heard similar stories from other people as well.

Regarding Korkers...

I bought the first pair of 'guide boots' that had their first BOA lacing system and interchangeable soles.
I did have a pair of studded rubber soles come apart after some years of use. I had sand get in a BOA gear once.
I poured some water over the knob and it came free.

A while back, I went onto the Korkers website and filled out a form. They sent me a free pair of laces and pair of BOA replacement mechanisms.

Last year, those old guide boots died. The front toe caps started coming apart. I'll fix them sometime with some barge cement.
I just have to figure out how to get some good clamping pressure on them.

I have replaced those old guide boots with some new Korkers. The BOA lacing system has been redesigned. Now you can really crank down on them to get a really tight fit.
The first time I wore them, I had to loosen them up after walking in them a bit.
The changeable soles are now different than my old ones. The sole covers the entire width of the boot, rather than just inserting into the sole of the boot.
Time will tell how long these last. I'll be really happy if they last as long as my old guide boots did.

my state out-lawed felt.......so i bought the new cabelas .....and they suck.....Nothing works better than felt.....Nothing

and to add to that...theres an article proving that felt IS NOT the cause for spreading didimo.....its actually genetically alreading pre-existing.....its proven that our rivers are rising temps ..j