Stocking foot waders

[melk]

Hi,
This maybe one of my dumb questions. How tight should the "feet" on my stocking foot waders be. Very long story short, bought them 2 or 3 years ago, finally got to wearing them after hip replacement. The feet seem to need major contortions to get in and out of. Are these too small for my feet? Should I try to "stretch" the feet a little?
Thanks,
Mike

[Preston Singletary]

I would think that any attempt to "stretch" the stocking foot would place such strains on the seams as to compromise their ability to remain waterproof.

[sagefisher]

Mike,

Buy new ones. While it may seem that neoprene stretches it has a very good memory and will always try to come back to its original setting. That means your toes and feet will be cramped and uncomfortable, a very bad thing to have. You want plenty of room for proper blood flow and room to wiggle your toes. Buy new ones.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[WarrenP]

Mike,

This may sound crazy, but, I read it somewhere on the internet quite some time ago and have tried it and still use it. An older fly fisherman started having problems bending over to get his waders off and he tried something that makes his waders easier to put on and very easy to get his feet out of. What he did was this: When putting on his waders, he would slip a small plastic trash bag over each foot and when he pulled his waders on, they slid on easily and when he took them off, he just raised his leg and shook it and the waders slid right off. I have tried this and it works great plus I think the plastic bag helps to keep my feet warmer in winter time fishing and you can use the plastic bag to clean up litter at the access area. Just a thought that you might want to try and see if it helps in your situation.

[anglerdave]

My question to you is, are your feet cramped once you get you foot inside the neoprene bootie? Or are they just difficult to get on and off? If your feet are cramped once you get them on, then you need a new pair. Most stocking foot waders have a varience in foot size normally three foot sizes, say 9-11. If you wear a size 9 or 11 them may either be a bit big or a bit tight. The best thing is to try them on before you buy them.

[jszymczyk]

They should not be tight. For me it is a real pain because not many come equipped to handle size 13-14 feet.

[rizeye]

You should be able to wear a thick paie of wool socks and easily slide your feet in and out of the booties. tight fitting waders, boots or shoes restrict blood flow into your foot and causes them to get cold quickly, not to mention be uncomfortable. you need blood flow to stay warm.

[redietz]

Mike,

This may sound crazy, but, I read it somewhere on the internet quite some time ago and have tried it and still use it. An older fly fisherman started having problems bending over to get his waders off and he tried something that makes his waders easier to put on and very easy to get his feet out of. What he did was this: When putting on his waders, he would slip a small plastic trash bag over each foot and when he pulled his waders on, they slid on easily and when he took them off, he just raised his leg and shook it and the waders slid right off.

I do this as well, and it really works. For some reason, the only waders that I need to it on are Simms; every other brand (Orvis for example) seem to slip off without any extra help.

[melk]

Thanks all, Warren, as usual, you are a fount of knowledge. I remember doing the plastic bag trick as a kid to go in the snow. Of course we had snow up to 10 feet, oops, off topic.
I'll give the thoughts presented a try.
Thanks and keep those comments coming!
Mike

[BigDan]

I do this as well, and it really works. For some reason, the only waders that I need to it on are Simms; every other brand (Orvis for example) seem to slip off without any extra help.

I love my Simms waders but they are a bit snug below the calf. I don't have a ton of experience with waders but the Simms are certainly more difficult to get my feet in and out of