You affirmed my suspicions!Originally Posted by DG
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.
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