I have a question about studs for wading boots. I bought some Kold Kutter screws (3/8 inch) and have put them on a pair of wading boots that had a different type of stud. The fit was perfect. I have another pair of Chota wading boots that are felt bottom with no studs. Have any of you added studs to a pair of wading boots that did not come with studs? There are no pilot holes for the screws … just a plain, felt soled bottom. Would you pre-drill a small hole and then put in the screws. Would you abandon this idea and get some boots that have studs? Thank you.
I got a big sack of Kold Kutter’s a while back. I’ve added them to boots with soles that had pre-drilled holes and other boots without holes. But only rubber soled boots, not felt. I’ve just driven them in – without pre-drilling – and I imagine that would work with felt too. I have noticed that some boots have softer rubber than others and with softer rubber, the screws tend to fall out during usage. With the softer rubber soles, I added a dap of Gorilla Glue to the screw threads before driving the screw into the sole which seemed to help.
I used Goat Heads for my felt Patagonia Boots and dipped them on Shoe Goo before screwing them down. Did this in the Fall of 2017 and have had no problems…
The only studs I will ever use are aluminum. They grip much better than steel, and when it comes to my safety I am not looking to save money. I recommend the Rock Tread studs. Just make sure you kit comes with Loctite. If you don’t use the cement your studs will come off.
Thought I would share my experience with the cleats I used for me boots. Fished all day without any fear of falling due to slip. Walked across a number of different surfaces and felt comfortable. For me, the Kold Kutter cleats worked just fine. Thanks for all the input; much appreciated.
