ChrisK;
I don’t have the waders you’re looking at, but I’ve owned and worn the forerunner of the Korker boots you’re considering for about 4 years now and love them.
Mine are the “Outfitters” model, but like myself, they’ve now been discontinued. Evidently replaced by the new ones, you’re looking to buy.
Don’t know why, the Outfitters are being replaced, other than like almost everything in our obsession… “It’s been on the market a while, so it’s time to change the look a little bit and raise the price!”
Anyhoooooo… one or three suggestions if you go with the Korkers… the interchangeable soles are the neatest thing, since Dshock discovered the comfort of wearing a thong. You of course, get several boots for the price of one. But, I learned early on, to carry a small, plastic tent stake style mallet with me, in my gear bag for knocking the soles intoplace, when changing from one to another.
When the boots are cold and wet,from wading…say in the felts, felt/spikes, the rubber outer rib of the main sole can get pretty “stiff” and hard to argue with. So, that’s when the mallet can comes into play, for “knocking” the new soles into the boot, when changing over.
I also carry a cheap “horse hoof-cleaning tool”. (looks like a flat blade screwdriver, with a loop handle, bent at 90 degrees, at the head). Even with a tight fit, on the sole to boot configuration, the “groove” that the soles fit into can become clogged with sand and stream debris, making changing soles a real challenge. The hoof cleaning tool, ran around the “groove”, one time, cleans it right out.
Sorry, I guess I kinda make it sound, like the boots are a lot of work just to own and wear but, seriously, they’re not!! Everything, from replacing soles, to cleaning out the groove, becomes so second nature, after about the 2nd. time you wear these great boots, it’s no big deal. They’re the most comfortable wading shoe, I’ve ever worn and I’ve owned about 6, different, brands over the years. Ankle support is very, very, good and with the “hiking sole” you can wear them all day, like regular boots.
Now, the ONLY thing, that I DON’T like about this boot is the "Stealth, all rubber, “sticky” soles. I don’t know about anyone, else, that’s ever tried this type of sole before, but I would have slipped and fallen in, LESS had I worn dress shoes, when I tried that sole out!
I’ve tried the “Aqua Stealth” sole, by L.L. Bean, too and the results were the exact same… like wearing dress shoes, instead of wading boots. Maybe, where I wore them, (Montana, Oregon and Washington), was the reason. Maybe back east, the algae is classier, or whatever, I have no idea. But, out here, in the west it’s slick and they don’t work!
Good luck, enjoy the Korkers, they’re great boots!
