The new Korker OmniTrax

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

Hey guys, well my good old Korker convertables finally died on me last fall after a solid 6-7 yrs of use. One of the best wading boots I have owned so now I'm in the market for another pair of Korkers. I see they have changed the design of the way the soles interchange now and have a new system called OmniTrax 3.0

Just wondering if anyone here has korkers with that style sole system now and how you like the way the soles fit, stay on...better or worse than the old sole attachment system?

Thanks for any feedback.

Steve

[luckie88]

I'm in the same boat as you! But mine aren't completely destroyed yet. After this season I'm sure I'll definitely be buying a pair. I've been doing my homework on these and I'm pretty sure about Metalheads but also considering the Redsides. Just a tossup between the Boa laces or standard.

From what I've seen and heard from friends with them that they kick butt. The soles cover the entire bottom and the locking system works wonderfully. They definitely stay on better than the old system from the looks of things. I almost broke down and bought a pair a few months ago, but found a studded felt replacement sole for 5$ and that will last one more season.

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

Yep the Redsides are actually the model I'm thinking of buying. For $99 they seem like a pretty good deal.

[flybugpa]

i like the old ones (uppers are still serviceable) , anyone know if the old original style soles are still out there and available to buy?

[LadyFisher]

When all else fails, call Korkers and ask?
LF

[Dry Fly Guy]

Have a pair with the Boa Lace and love them. Heard some had problem with the Boa system bu tI have used them rather hard for going on three years now and no problem. Both fishing and duck hunting so they got a decent work out and performed well. I like them so much I bought another similiar pair of boots to store so when mine do bite the dust I will have them for replacement in case similiar is no longer made. Tried to do same with pair of Rocky hunting boots but they stopped making the model I wanted before I acted. Like someone said. If you find something you really like get a lifetime supply before they either improve or discontinue it.

[popperfly]

No problem with my Korkers Steve, I like everything about them especially the Boa-Lace system.

I certainly would purchase another pair in a minute

[DG]

I just got back from a trip to MT with a fishing buddy. He had the new Korkers. He had one sole that would not stay attached, and he had to take off his boots a couple times per day to reattach them. In one day of wearing the studded felt soles, he lost a stud from BOTH of them. He took his boots back to get a new pair (and a new pair of studded felt soles), and NONE of the ones he tried in the shop had soles that would completely attach properly. He asked for his $ back.

So... I aint going to buy any. The concept is great, but the engineering needs work.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I routinely find the old style Korker's soles as streamside trash, presumably from someone losing them upstream somewhere. Also, when I was in Sportsman's Warehouse the other day, they had a big rack of the old style soles on clearance, so if anyone needs replacements before they vanish, try there.

[zhoyt]

Never had an issue with mine. Love the Boa system and the quick attach sole is great. I have definitely put some miles on them.

[Bamboozle]

I just got back from a trip to MT with a fishing buddy. He had the new Korkers. He had one sole that would not stay attached, and he had to take off his boots a couple times per day to reattach them. In one day of wearing the studded felt soles, he lost a stud from BOTH of them. He took his boots back to get a new pair (and a new pair of studded felt soles), and NONE of the ones he tried in the shop had soles that would completely attach properly. He asked for his $ back.

So... I aint going to buy any. The concept is great, but the engineering needs work.

You affirmed my suspicions!

The whole Korker sole swapping concept seems to be a work in progress. Why is the attachment method of each NEW version completely different from the one that preceded it? I'm guessing because it doesn't work all the time or fails over time as the shoe wears and gets broken in.

The first generation which I own, suffered from soles that popped out and lack of full coverage of the sole. The second generation addressed the sole popping out but not the lack of coverage, the third, (or is it the 4th?) has addressed the sole coverage issue, although there is STILL a large area of the permanent sole with rubber on it at the TIP of the bottom of the shoe. If you wade where rocks are everywhere and try moving by getting a toe hold on a rock, you will quickly find out why having that rubber at the tip of the sole isn't so great a design. Wading perfectly flat footed isn't the answer either, at least not where I fish!

I'm sure there will be other issues with the latest system once they get a year or so of service under their belt. One thing I discovered with my Korker's is as the shoes get soaked, ESPECIALLY when wearing them on consecutive days without drying out, the fit of the swappable soles was noticeably looser. I don't know if it is because of a lack of support from the wet leather and other materials or the rubber midsole absorbing water but regardless, the fit is WAY sloppier on a wet pair. I'm the betting new version with soles that extend to the edge with a gimmicky attachment method will get pulled off on extremely rocky bottoms where your shoe can get wedged repeatedly in tight spots. Trust me, if you can take these NEW, REDESIGNED soles off without a tool, I'm sure some crafty rock will figure out a way to get them to come off as well!

Keep in mind the first generation of Korker's boasted soles that stayed on and for the most part with careful wading they did...

...but at some streams they didn't! I also think sand, grit, dirt or debris will eventually get wedged under the gaps at the edges of the NEW sole forcing another complete redesign in the next few years. I'll betcha a beer on that one!

On my pair of the first generation Korker's I modified them and resolved the sole popping out issue but I am very disappointed in the durability of the shoe. I bought the top of the line shoe and the leather has cracked and split, especially at the welt. The rubber toe cap and molded shoe bottom has also de-laminated in several spots. I should add that I take VERY good care of my wading shoes and own more than a few pairs with leather which I clean and dress and none of them has deteriorated so quickly. While I realize I am NOT talking about the latest version of the Korker's which don't appear to be leather, the construction of the shoe is similar so the falling apart issue has given me enough reason to wait another few generations before I decide if I would even consider another pair.

Besides, I almost never found the need to swap soles on the go. I usually decided ahead of time what would work best, (which in almost every case was studded felt) and I went with that. I realize with felt bans, having a rubber option is a good thing but when I factored in the price of the replacement soles, ($25-$35 per) I quickly decided it was better for the resource and my wallet to buy two separate pairs of wading shoes with different bottoms.

After it is all said and done the BIGGEST advantage to the entire system is the ability to easily replace a worn out sole without visiting your local shoemaker or investing in a quart of Barge. Unfortunately in my experience the soles appear to be lasting longer than the shoes!

Obviously YMMV.