Hi all,
Okay, I know I have issues with flexibility, due to various leg things. I finally got brave and tried on the waders I’ve had for years. They fit, snug enough and big enough. But, when I went to remove them the stocking feet seemed stuck to my foot. I had one heck of a time getting them off. Is there a good way to remove them? I had pulled them down, both sides to where the heavier foot part started, but then couldn’t get them over my foot. I was ready to slice and dice as I had an appointment, but get them off finally. Checked with the boots on and they felt fine. Should the foot area be sooooo tight?
Thanks for any suggestions.
It takes me a little effort and definitely gets harder as I get older, but I can usually peel / roll down to the top of the bootie or heel and then pull my foot out. Yours sound rather tight to me and I believe you can damage seams if you’re tugging to hard.
You might try sprinkling some baby powder in them.
You could try thin socks for a starter. Have a portable chair with you if you can, easier to take them off sitting down. I usually step on the toe of one foot and slide my foot out that way, then while that foot is still somewhat in the waders I step on the other foot.
Good luck.
Larry —sagefisher—
You can also try putting on thin plastic bags, like newspaper bags, over your socks before you put the waders on. It makes them a little more slippery than just the wader over the sock and easier to pull off. You will need to fish the plastic bag out of the wader afterwards. 
Ted
I had the old Simms Guide waders with the fitted stockingfoot booty for many years. Best wader I ever had. The fitted booty really hugged the curves on my foot and greatly reduced any excess material in my boot. However, they were a bear to take off.
I thought this was typical of stockingfoot waders until I bought a pair of Orvis Silver Sonics. They have a much baggier bootie which bothered me when I first stuffed them into wading boots. But when I take them off, my feet slide right out. The difference is amazing.
So there’s a definite trade off. Fitted feel great in the boot, baggier are way easier to take off.
Yes, this can be a problem as the old body gets stiffer. I find that the best aid is my wife. However, I agree with the comment about powder on your feet before putting on the waders. Certainly makes the process easier for me. Good luck.
You didn’t say what brand and type of wader you have, but there are some brands, Simms in particular, that offer custom sized or replacement feet for their waders.
For me, I find its not that uncomfortable to have wader feet that are a bit too large.
I’m not sure if I’m following what steps you’re performing, but if you’re not doing it already, try grabbing the stocking foot by the heel and pulling them off that way. I lower my waders to a point around or below my knees, then reach down (bringing my leg up somewhat to meet my hand if needed), grab the bottom of the stocking foot at the heel, and then pull that leg of the wader off. I repeat with the other leg, let out an audible sigh, then commence to telling lies about how many fish I caught.
My blood is kind of thin having lived south of Tennessee most of my life, so my feet get cold wading or floating trout water. I wear some thin silk sock under some heavy wool socks, My foot tends to pull out of the wool sock pretty easily. You don’t want your foot cramped in the boot or they don’t get good circulation and get cold quicker. Cold feet were okay back in my newly wed days, not much any more.
i know this goes around the point but some of my friends are wading less and wearing knee boots because of the effort putting on waders
Thanks to all for the suggestions! I will try all the techniques and let you know how things go. I don’t even want to think about boot foot waders!!! AHHHH!
Mike
Got this on Global Fly Fisher
http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/the-bag-trick/pic.php?id=7750
A couple of things to consider:
[ul]
[li]Plastic bags will not allow your feet to breathe which means they will perspire.[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]Perspiring feet get colder faster.[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]Wet or damp socks are harder to get out of tight fitting wader boots or any boots for that matter.[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]Cotton socks are the worst for absorbing and holding moisture.[/li][/ul]
The good news is a two-sock combo like very thin polypropylene sock liners (available at places like L.L. Bean) worn on the foot with a lighter THIN wool sock over that will allow the foot to breathe and will wick away moisture. They also allow the foot to slip out easier because if the fit is tight, the outer wool sock will just slide off the liner sock freeing your foot.
This two-sock combo also works great to keep feet warm in the winter with a THICK outer wool sock if your wader/shoe combo will accommodate a thicker sock.
The bad news is the trend lately with many wader manufacturers (Simms, Dan Bailey & Chota immediately spring to mind) is a bootee and lower leg taper that are VERY tight/form fitting. I have big calves and a wide ankle and I can barely get my foot inside many new waders or neoprene wading socks out there yet I have an average sized foot.
Going to a larger size only increases the length (shoe size) of the bootee (which isn?t a good thing if you wear a 10-1/2 street shoe) but adds nothing to the calf or ankle area. I don?t get it, but be advised that buying new waders may only exacerbate your problem so try before you buy.
If none of that helps, consider a boot jack.
Good luck!