Simms G3 Guide boot review

Acristickid

Acristickid

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Apr 25, 2007
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It's a $199 boot. It's very comfortable, solid protection- I'm a lil heavier so I like lots of support. I can't wear thin boots.

I would give them high marks but the star cleats do not work. There are $25-$50 to buy all you need and they come out very easily. Poor design. I even went to the flagship store and had the guy drill them in and they still came out after a few days of wading. Fail.
 
I put a drop of aqua seal on each stud threads. Never had one come out and still easily removed with a socket.
 
Agreed. I lost nearly half of mine on day #1.

Use hex screws from hardware store. They didn't come out as easily. They wear down fairly quick but it's a few cents to replace em.

As a longer term review, the rubber tread wears down too quickly. Mine are approaching flat. 3 years old but it was a very light fishing 3 years, probably only 20-30 trips. Wear was apparent by their 10th outing. (but my "outings" are often hiking long distances on solid rock).

The uppers are as solid as any boot I've ever had.
 
It's easy to screw the studs in too much and strip out the holes.

Try filling the hole with aquaseal then re-installing.

The vibram soles do wear faster than other rubber soles. Having studs in the boots goes a long way towards their longevity.
 
Just to clarify these boots have the rubber sole with a pattern for the star type of cleat. I found it hard to fit them in the sole design. I had to hold the boots as the guy drilled them- he struggled getting them in. Thanks for the seal tip, have to try that. Simms most comfortable boot for me but disappointing after several pairs.
 
I am on my second pair of Simms G3 Guide boots. The first pair lasted 5 years. They had the Simms studs and worked very well. After five years they basically fell apart from use! But no complaints I got my money's worth out of them. My second pair are going on 3 years of use. This pair I installed the star cleats. They work even better than the studs and I have not lost a cleat yet. I did tighten them recently but that's it. The rubber on these boots are a softer compound than some boots so they wear faster but grip better. IMO this boot is the best on the market.
 
Have had two pairs of Simms boots with star cleats. I replaced the star cleats on the first pair and put the new ones in the holes the old ones were in. Lost a couple so I concluded that it's better to put replacement cleats into new holes.

haven't lost any in my current pair of boots. I do check periodically and sometimes find a loose one that I tighten up.
 
I have had my Guide Boots for 3 years and still use the same star cleats, although the tread and cleats are getting pretty worn.

I tighten them every month or so but never had a problem and I don't 'kill' it when I screw them in. Just go until its tight and no aquaseal has been needed.

Maybe I have just been lucky.
 
I have not used the new G3 guide boots, or the star cleats.

I will say the Simms carbide studs that I put in my current Simms boots are the only Simms product I've not gotten the longevity I expected out of (how many times can I say "Simms" in one sentence?). I ran them smooth within a couple weeks of installing them.
 
My g3 boots have finally gone to the big fishing hole in the sky. After 7 years, they basically exploded. They probably reached their end of life a year ago but I was wearing them as long as they'd stay on my foot. Lol. Had a new pair in the closet for 2 years waiting their turn. It's a solid boot, no question about it. Good support but no record breaking lifespan. Just with they still made studded felt soles again.
 
krayfish2 wrote:
My g3 boots have finally gone to the big fishing hole in the sky. After 7 years, they basically exploded. They probably reached their end of life a year ago but I was wearing them as long as they'd stay on my foot. Lol. Had a new pair in the closet for 2 years waiting their turn. It's a solid boot, no question about it. Good support but no record breaking lifespan. Just with they still made studded felt soles again.
Click to expand...
krayfish2, Simms reintroduced felts several years ago. The G3 Guide boots are available with felt soles. Simms still sells the standard studs for felts also.
 
I have a brand new 2013 closeout g3's that I just sarted wearing. They are felts. I know I can put screws in them that will fall out on a regular basis. I mean the old school ones that are built in, become lose but never fall out.
 
I have owned simms, korkers, orvis, llbean and chota boots with studs. They all fall out for me, some quicker than others. I have never had an entire set of studs stay in for longer than 3 months. The rivers in western md are brutal on cleats and there is a no felt law. I do say that the korkers devils canyon are my favorite and being able to replace just the bottom is a bonus.
 
I bought a pair of the G3s in December and put the studs in last month. The cost may have been double what I could have purchased but the safety is what was important. Amazing boot
 
I've never lost a stud (20x4 pairs) on rivershed and G3 boots. In fact, it was not easy to remove them once.But these are hard bite studs.
I think the cleats have a design flaw. Studs have a serrated (lack of a better word) pan head. When they are screwed in (don't over tighten them! You'll strip the rubber) this raised surface bites into the rubber preventing them from slipping. On the cleats, the smooth screwhead meet the smooth cleat surface. small movements caused by the flexing of the rubber would cause slight movements in the screw, ultimately working its way loose.
Has anyone tried to rough up or scour these surfaces? May be placing vertical lines with a scribe or engraver?
 
To avoid over tightening I use my power drill set on its lowest torque setting. I stop right before the head meets the rubber and then I set them using a nut driver.
 
nymphingmaniac wrote:
To avoid over tightening I use my power drill set on its lowest torque setting. I stop right before the head meets the rubber and then I set them using a nut driver.
Click to expand...

+1 Good advice ^ I do the same and I have no problem losing studs from my boots. Tightening them too much will strip them and they will never hold well. I retired a 5 year old pair of rubber soled boots this season and never lost a stud. Nuther tip, take off the studs from your old boots before you throw them and keep as backups. Same for the laces. they both can come in handy.

Final point about studs. When installing studs in felt, be careful to choose stud screws long enough to penetrate well into the midsole, but not too long to penetrate into the footbed. Short screws will not hold well in felt.

 
I've had a pair of guide boots with star cleats for over 4 years or more, have never lost a single cleat and have never needed to tighten them either. I just installed the screws, no aquaseal or anything. I think the key is not stripping the rubber. Great boots overall!
 
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