Ok, finally looking for wading boots

[pcray1231]

The screws didn't want to seem to go all the way in easily, you really had to bear down on em to get em to go forward, if you just screw they just turned without moving forward. And they never "tightened", you can still just spin em in place with a screwdriver. My impression was that the threads are too small to really bite into the rubber hole, it's like screwing a nail. What keeps the stud from spinning is merely the shape and how it fits on the tread.

They're not really "studs", more like flat panels of aluminum on the bottom, and they stick out kinda far below the sole. I think that's why it felt like skating on flat rocks, even dry rocks. The rubber isn't making contact at all, you're just walking on these small flat panels of aluminum. But if the bottom was broken enough for both rubber and aluminum to make good contact, i.e. smaller "river rock" type substrate, they did fine. Perhaps once they wear down some they'll get better.

I assume in climbing and stuff they're tending to catch on things and thus pull out. Just hope I haven't stripped the holes.

Debating whether to replace them, or just split up the ones I have left evenly and add some hex screws.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

The guys at the shop told me (and makes sense to me) that the aluminum cleats are designed for rocks that are very hard and rough (granite was the example provided) so that the rock bites into the aluminum. Studs are for surfaces where the carbide can bite into the rocks. Smooth rocks probably will not bite into the aluminum. May be the carbide star cleats are what you need or plain studs.

Stripped the holes: I think the pattern to install the plain studs is different from the holes recommended for the cleats, so you could avoid these holes.

I had to push down hard (drill driver) to get the hard bite studs to take. You are correct, the hard bite studs have a rough surface under the head that digs into the rubber that prevents slippage. The head of the screws on the star cleats hit the smooth metal. Not a great solution, but may be roughing up the underside if the head and top side of the cleat where they meet might improve things.
I love the simms line, but it sounds like these star cleats (aluminum or carbide) may be flawed because the screws can't bite into the rubber.

 

[pcray1231]

I know someone had kold kutters at the jam, who was it? That's probably the direction I'll go, but the smallest packs are 250 of them. I don't need that many! I figure 16 or so plus a few extras in case some come out.

 

[RichK]

I always used felt cheapies until a few years ago. I was at Cabelas, and tried on a pair of Simms Riversheds, and knew I was in heaven!
I bought a pair with Vibram soles at the end of last summer, and was amazed at the traction. The local stream is SLIPPERY, and falling once a month was just part of fishing...until I bought the Vibram Riversheds. I haven't tried any sort of cleat, and the Vibram alone works just fine. The plan was to give the Vibram a shot to see how it would do by itself. It performs great. Some people have said that cleats can make boots more slippery on certain rocks, so maybe try them without...??? I'd be too lazy to remove them after all that installation work, and then find that I wanted them back on again...LOL!

Foot Support: I'd pay twice what the Simms cost to get that all day comfort. My feet would ache after a couple of hours in cheapies, and hiking was a chore. My feet are 100% after standing in Simms for up to 8 hours, and I wade and hike further than I ever imagined.

 

[NCPAtrtbum]

I'll vouch for Simms Vibram soled boots. I recently bought a pair of their Rivertek Boa's and they are amazing. That sole grips everything, it's pretty darn amazing, plus the inside of those boots have a padded neoprene that gives good support top to bottom. Very nice boot. Would buy them again in a heartbeat.

Also purchased a pair of the updated freestone waders, those things are damn tough, they really put in some time when designing those.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

richk a little advice. i too avoided the studs in my first pair. after 1.5-2 years the treads wore out too much and I had to put them in. Got another 1.5 years out of them before the support in the soles gave out and other signs of wear. I think the lack of studs accelerate the wear of the rubber (studs act like a high spot, avoiding wear). I put the studs in my second pair right away.

 

[salmonoid]

pcray1231 wrote:
I know someone had kold kutters at the jam, who was it? That's probably the direction I'll go, but the smallest packs are 250 of them. I don't need that many! I figure 16 or so plus a few extras in case some come out.

Wasn't at the jam but I did purchase a pack of these, as I took one too many spills with my boots with rubber soles alone (despite the fact that they were "made" from the same stuff that allows a person to walk on greasy fryer floors in restaurants without slipping). Perhaps I got too short of a length (3/8") but I find that:

1) I lose a fair amount of the studs; I seem to lose traction over a days time and when I think to check at the end of the day, I've found the reason to be I've got one stud left. So I think you'll need more than 16.

2) The studs wear out ridiculously fast for me. Maybe I grind my feet when I walk? But it seems I can put 8 studs in a boot at the beginning of a trip and five miles later, they're smooth (or gone, see #1).

I'm now in the same situation as you were - I was initially looking for something in the price range you had specified ($80 - $100). My first pair of wading boots was a pair of Prolines, that held up well enough. I then had a pair of Korkers (first generation), which I liked a lot, until the soles started flopping off all the time. I also bought a pair of Cabelas Ultralights, for longer trips and to lighten the foot load, but the darn things shrank. My current pair of wading boots is a a pair of Dan Bailey Eco Grip Wading boots, that I scored for dirt cheap from STP. This pair of boots was joined with the Kold Kutter screws but:

1) Sole has begun to separate from the boot,
2) Stitching is already coming out of the toe area,
3) Laces have both ripped
4) Inside padding is worn away on right boot

All of this after less than a year of usage; initially these scored highly with me but long-term, they have not held up and they are a disappointment.

The LL Beans linked to (now down to $89.99) are interesting. But, for a bit more, I could get a pair of Simms and if they held up for several years, they'd pay for themselves, when compared to buying cheaper but less wear-resistant boots. And, my body doesn't recover from 5-mile+ fishing trips anymore, especially the feet. Anymore insights out there? When does the 2013 (next model year gear) hit the streets? I can probably squeak a few more months out of the Dan Bailey's and maybe hope for some good clearance sales on this year's gear (or last year even - I do not need the latest and greatest).

I liked the idea of Korkers with interchangeable soles; however, the reality is I ended up carrying the hiking soles with me, but walking out on the rubber soles anyway. It probably puts some extra wear on the rubber soles to hike in them, but hiking is part of the return from fishing after a day, so there's no getting away from that. So while the concept is novel, the reality is I didn't use the different soles all that much, and I'm annoyed that each year or so, they release a new model which deprecates the old soles.