Does anyone out there have these shoes and if you do how do you like them? How is the fit, do they shrink to the point where they’re impossible to get on, how do they hold up?
I have an opportunity to get a pair at 20% off so I may give them a try.
Also, are the studs replaceable?
I also have Chota STL’s, Russell felts & AquaStealth, and Bean AquaStealth so this isn’t a shoe preference question but a search for opinions on the Simms Guide Shoe with studded AquaStealth so I don’t waste my money. It’s not like I NEED another pair of wading shoes .
How much bigger than your street shoe are your Simms? My Chotas STL’s shrink a bit too but I buy them 1-1/2 sizes LARGER than my street shoes and the fit for me is great, albeit a bit tight on that opening fishing trip till they get wet.
I have the Guide Simm’s with Aquastealth. They are the best boot I’ve even used. First, no the studs are not replacable. Second, they do not shrink, get the boot size that you normally wear. if you wear a size 10 buy the boots in size 10, they will seem large but they will be a perfect fit when put over your waders.
I just took a pair of Simms Guides and a pair of Chotas in to get resoled. The Simms had 3 seasons on them and the Chotas only 1. The guy I took them to is very reputable and does all kinds of boot repair. He couldnt even resole the Chotas because they were so far gone but the Simms he had no problem. He said the Simms are are one of the better made boots he has seen where the Chota design is very cheap and not very good.
I also have Chota’s and I successfully had mine re-soled WITH the STL bottom. I removed the old felt, re-glued on new Chota felt and had my shoemaker re-stitch them. Total cost $28.00.
Ray:
I believe Chota also recommends buying your normal street shoe size but I wear a size 1-1/2 sizes larger and the fit with everything is satisfactory. I guess I better try on the Simms to judge the fit. Tight fitting wading shoes mean cold feet in the winter.
Now I guess I should call Simms to find out if they sell the studded replacement soles.
I use a pair of simms studded aquastealth, use them in the salt or on the river and they provide good traction on every type of terrain I have tried them on. I tend to do a lot of yomping when I fish and they can feel a little heavy after half a dozen miles. Also never wear them on a boat!! A friend of mine who also wears them ended up with a sand filled blister in the leather of one of the boots but this had not impaired the performance and we have decided to lance it once it starts to get puss-ed up.
I had a pair of these for several years, but they may have made a change or two to the design since I bought mine. Mine were okay, but nothing to brag about. I also got a blister on the inside of one of my ankles when I wore them if I walked too far.
I always buy wading shoes that are 1 size bigger than my normal shoes size and this seems to work for me. I don’t think that wading shoes actually shrink, but they do get hard and somewhat bent out of shape when they are dry which does make them hard to put on that way. The sulution is to get them wet before putting them on. If I’m not right next to the stream when I put them on, I either try to soak them in water before leaving home, or take a gallon of water with me, and a plastic pan to soak them in right before I put them on.
My Chotas lasted 2 seasons before the soles came loose. They didn’t need replacement, just resewing, which my local shoe repair shop did for $8. That was last year, and the heels are already coming loose. I’m going to replace the soles with new ones this season, and resew them with 30# test Spiderwire, which is practically indestructible. I also bought them one size over my regular shoe size, and just wish I could have gotten them a 1/2 size larger than that, but a 13 seems to be the biggest they make. I’ve had to replace the elastic laces almost as soon as I got them. But the studded soles make slipping almost nonexistent, I love them for that.
I’ve owned a pair of the Simms Riverteks with Aquastealth/studs for almost a year. Best steelheading boots I’ve ever used. They’re on the heavy side but I have super wide feet and Simms is the only maker that puts out a EEEE width. I buy a size bigger to accommodate lots of insulation. I wouldn’t recommend doing long hikes in the quick lace variety. They don’t give all the ankle support that my old boots did.
All in all, you do feel like a mountain goat with those things on though…
-Jim Stuard
Bamboosle, My ol man has that very boot. He’s had them for several years and loves them. I even bought him some Orvis Brogue, but no go. He has a rubbermade box that he puts them in after he soaks them down in the tub. He does have to soak them in order to get them on. Little inconvenience for a great boot.
Here’s an idea I got from my Russell wading shoes that will solve your loose heel problem on the Chota’s:
Re-glue the heel with Barge Cement making sure to use SEVERAL coats on both the heel AND the area where the heel was attached so it soaks into the felt. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat. By applying several coats, allowing the first few to soak in, you get a GOOD surface application of cement. After gluing, get yourself some 3/4" X #10 FLAT HEAD STAINLESS sheet metal screws. Put four well spaced screws through the heel into the sole. You’ll never have to worry about loose heels again. I did this to my original pair of Chota’s and the heel is still holding strong after 3 seasons!
As far as stitching the heels on with Spiderwire; you will be hard pressed to find a shoe repair shop that can fit the thickness of the sole & heel into their stitching machine. Heels are not usually stitched on by a shoemaker but rather glued and nailed.
Stitching by hand and getting an awl and harness makers needle, or a stitching awl through the felt heel and sole, plastic mid-sole and last is almost impossible.
I am considering the Simms just for the heck of it. I really have no complaints about my other shoes except that I cut a fly line IN HALF with my newly replaced Chota studs by accidentally stepping on it. That made me ponder the less aggressive Simms studs.
While I may be harsh on Simms waders at times, I certainly feel that Simms makes the best wading boot. I own the Guide show with studded aquastealth soles. This is a great boot for the local freestone waters. Very durable and has superior traction on the local rivers. I also own a regular pair with the felt soles for use in my drift boat and other rivers.
The best tip I can offer to anyone with these boots is to get them wet before you put them on. I generally soak the boots before I leave the house or dunk them in the river before I put them on. It really softens up the leather and makes it a breeze to put them on.
I also found that I needed to buy one size larger than normal. I generally wear a size 11 shoe. The size 12 boot is a pefect fit.
I also own both the Simms Guide boot in felt and aquastealth.I buy them one size larger than my street shoes and they fit perfect.I also soak them prior to an outing and they slip on with ease.The aquastealths are awesome in the winter months because the snow will not stick to the soles like the felt ones. In my opinion there is no better wading boot.
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