I need a new pair of wadders and my questions are #1 boot foot or stocking foot #2 lug soles or felt?
These will be used for fishing rivers, streams and lakes in the midwest such as Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconson, and Michigan in the spring and summer.
Also what are the pros and cons of stocking foot and boot foot?
Thanks in advance for your ideas.
The number one reason I would buy stocking foot waders is so I can wear boots with felt and cleated soles. I have not found a bootfoot wader with either. They all seem to have a rubber tread that is not as good IMO.
Plus in my pontoon boat the stocking foots with wading booties on are much lighter and comfortable than the clunkier bootfoots. They allow better movement for using my flippers.
Tim,
I was in the same boat as you a couple of years ago, I went with the stocking foot for the simple reason of the better support of my old ankles and feet.
Thats my .02 worth.
Bill
Gnu Bee F made some great points, and I’ll add my .02 to the stocking foots and 'Toon boats… Instead of boots, when only lake fishing.( no getting out and wading), I wear an all neoprene w/rubber sole, flats type boot w/my stocking foot waders.
I can walk all over in these, to launch-reload, etc. and yet keep my wader’s boot feet protected and when on the boat, I have no weight whatsoever, from regular boots. (wading or any type).
For streams and rivers, I wear two types of waders, depending… either my bootfoot breathables, w/felt soled boots, or my breathable stocking foots, w/my Korker multi soled boots.
I, also, don’t like the heavy booted “bootfoot waders”, because they almost, all, come with a fairly heavy boot attached which, generally speaking, dooesn’t have very much foot and ankle support when wading, especially when wading free stone waters. I found a pair of “Chotas” finally that are the only all one piece, bootfoot/wader combo I’d consider buying.
The Chota’s integrated “boot”, is all neoprene and rubber, with built in speed lacing and felt soles,that makes the boot extremely comfortable, light and give excellent support. The felt soles are 3 years old and even as often as I fish… show hardly a bit of wear at all. I’ve worn and walked and waded in these for many hours on any given day, without any problems and no sore feet at the end of the day. They, also, roll down to convert to “waist highs” as well.
My stocking foots, are “Ghillie” brand, breathable, with neoprene “articulated” boot feet. With these, I wear the Korker “multi soled” wading boots. (They’re also, the ones I wear when 'Tooning, along with the flats boots).
As far as buying, “lug soles”, Scubatim I’d stay away from any and all boots that do not at least have felt soles and the felt/cleat combos are even better, most of the time. Regular, rubber based, lug soles offer absolutely NO protection against slipping and sliding on wet rocks, logs, algae covered bottoms, etc. Just regular, run of the mill tennis shoes, will slip less than the rubber lugged bottomed type boots.
There's also a "newer" rubber wading sole out on the market now, called "The Stealth" rubber sole. No felt, no cleats, just a straight sole with a sort of semi-marked rubber bottom. The claims on these, range from "As good as felt", to "Even better than felt". Well, may be, but I've "bit" and got two different, brands of boots with this "Stealth sole" on them and fell down, slipped and slid, ten times more than had I worn my rubber garden boots out fishing! They, DO, come with cleats also, so maybe in that combo they'd be okay. But, I dumped my two pair, as fast as I could dump them, after falling so many times, while trying them out!!
Paul
Stocking foot with wading boot. Better ankle support and usually a better over all fit.
For studs, the only consideration is if you use boats a lot. The boat awner won’ take too kindly to the hardship cleats will do.
I always use studs and I studded Ren?e’s boots too with sheet metal screws. They help when stepping on exposed roots and logs. They also help cut through slick moss to get a better purchase on the rocks.
Hope this helps.
I have both, the boot foot has a problem, if you step in mud on the river bank your foot comes out of the boot but the wader stays in the mud.
I wear both too (not at the same time)
boot foots in surf (they won?t fill up with sand like wading shoes), and in cold weather steelhead fishing where I don?t want to fumble around with laces in cold weather
Stocking foot with wading boots with felt sole with studs and gravel guards 
for everything else. Much easier to walk in, especially if you hike in to fish, won?t rub your ankles raw from chafing and much more secure footing than boot foots especially scrambling down banks, rock hopping mountain streams and fishing over cobbled streambeds
I add Korkers to either for fishing on rocky streams or from rocks in the surf. Studs really make a difference on rocks, and Korkers especially so.
If you fish in boats with felt + studs, you might want to plan on carrying a piece of outdoor carpeting to stand on?. unless it?s your mother-in-laws boat.
peregrines
I prefer stocking foot waders with wading boots. As has been stated, they are more comfortable and lighter plus bootfoot waders are a lot like buying a TV with built-in DVD player, when one goes bad and you send it in for repairs the other unit goes with it. At least with stocking foot waders, if the waders go bad, I still have my wading boots.
By the way, it would be nice if you would add Tennesse to the places you plan to fish and then I could show you my local waters. 
Warren is that an invite? If so count me in for sometime in the spring and Thanks
Stocking foot and Chota boots (you can screw the cleats in/remove them as needed). Speed laces and felt soles. I rarely use the cleats, but keep a couple of sets in my wader bag for when I need them.
I haven’t found a pair of boots any better than the Chotas, though I’ve owned several pairs, some of which cost as much as 3 times the price. They are terrific.
One pair of boots two pair of waders , neoprene and breathable.
Korker boots with changeable soles felts, felts with lugs and hiking
Felts and boots still wet from fishing today.
What more could you ask for ?
scubatim,
Just send me a PM to let me know when you are coming and we will set something up. I will look forward to it.
Tim;
I’ve got a spare room for ya when you get to Tennessee! Just let us know when you’re going to show up!
P.S. I perfer stocking foot waders.
FFF;
Those are my exact boots, too and yes… they’re unbeatable for “separate boots/waders” combo.
I don’t know, though, how you keep yours so CLEAN, like that!?!
Also, I’ve heard of “C-4 baitcasting”, before, we used to do it over in 'Nam when we were hungry for fish to eat. And, there’s the old “short fuse, short cast method” when they’d dynamite fish years ago.
But… THOSE shells, pictured with your waders, are a bit, uhhhhh, “overkill”, to use a really bad pun, aren’t they? Any meat, left, when the fishies fall back out of the trees and surrounding brush, after one of those go off??
Just curious!??!
2wt. you’re right… "Chotas are by far, the best in boots I’ve ever owned, as far as mine being a “bootfoot wader” combo. I’d love to try their straight out wading boots, too, but love my Korkers too much to try another pair right now. But, if they’re anything, even close, to the Chota bootfoot/wader combos I have, I’m sure they’re great too!
Paul
Ha Ha
I get them wet in the wonderful rivers we have around here and the naturally clean water does the rest
No fish were harmed in the discharge of the shells. But I imagine they could blow them out of the water and stack them up high.
The shells are for a project - going to make a Kick Ass wind chime and PO all the folks around me that cut their lawns on Sunday mornings, and the wind here can be wicked.
Stocking foot + whatever.
Personally, I choose to buck the omnipresent trend of over-accessorization and eschew wading boots for Converse sneakers. Chicks dig them too.
[quote=“flyfishfairwx”]
Ha Ha
I get them wet in the wonderful rivers we have around here and the naturally clean water does the rest
No fish were harmed in the discharge of the shells. But I imagine they could blow them out of the water and stack them up high.
The shells are for a project - going to make a Kick *** wind chime and PO all the folks around me that cut their lawns on Sunday mornings, and the wind here can be wicked.[/quote]
Ray, not ONLY do you wear a great wading boot, but your “revengeful and sick mind” is almost equal to MINE when it comes to rude neighbors!! Good luck, I hope it “chimes their ears to near deafness”!!! I know, an “early morning lawnmower” can sure ruin my hearing!!
Paul :lol: :lol: :lol: