Wading Shoes, Light But Tough

[jaybo41]

Cabelas Master Guide boots, 3.4 lbs and very durable. I've had a pair that's lasted me 3 years of hard hiking/fishing. 70 bucks well spent.

 

[Jim]

Here's my experience...should it help.

I fish 100+ days a yr and am hard on boots. I love hiking into wild brookie streams and wear my boots in. I've owned.....

Weinbrenner....their top line model; well made, leather upper, high lacing (took time to lace and unlace; solid last; uppers eventually tore/cracked. Have owned two pair...probably not again

Korkers....have owned two models. Eventually, walking on them resulted in the wearing through the threads that attach the bottom to the heel strip that attaches (via velcro) to the upper. When a sole plate (come with felt and a rubber sole) came out...it was lost. I have had problems with the soles coming out of the bottom of the shoe. When I called Korkers and discussed it, they told me of model improvements...and for a relatively low sum, replaced my old shoes with new ones. And after a while...same old problem.. the bottoms started coming off when waiding, or walking, etc. They are comfortable and lightweight, lots of room, and easy to put on or off; but beware your bottom falling off

Patagonia, have a lightweight felt with small studs; love it; best i've tried yet; some leather, lots of ballistic nylon; large rubber rand over toe cap....my choice

anyway..my 2cents

Jim

 

[CRB]

I ware Simm's Guides aqua stealth with factory studs. I've have used them for the past 3 1/2 years well over 100 days a year. The rubber still is A+ as are the Studs. Best combo for steelhead and not too bad on Oil Creek either. Not quite as grippy as felt and studs on Oil but still much better than only felt.
The only complaint I have is the boots have to be wet to get on, as the leather shrinks. So a trip to my outdoor facet precludes my fishing.

 

[Maurice]

Jim wrote:
Here's my experience...should it help.

I fish 100+ days a yr and am hard on boots. I love hiking into wild brookie streams and wear my boots in. I've owned.....

Weinbrenner....their top line model; well made, leather upper, high lacing (took time to lace and unlace; solid last; uppers eventually tore/cracked. Have owned two pair...probably not again........
anyway..my 2cents

Jim

I fish less than 100 days...maybe close. I bought the Weinbrenners "Ultimate Wading Shoe" 15 months ago. 13 months after I bought them , the stitching came away from the hard plastic toe and along the heel strap. I took picures and emailed them to Weinbrenner. They had me mail them back to them ($10.00) and then sent me an email telling me they were sending them back to me because they were"too far gone for repair".

I was livid. blasted them with an email and got no response. It took me an hour to sew the toes to keep gravel from coming in. So far so good. I like the support of the shoe but their service sucks like their workmanship.

I'm going back to the Chota's STL with studs that lasted me 3 years before I had to overhaul them. Best wading shoe I ever owned...I should have stuck with them.

Weinebrenners will never see another dime of mine.


Maurice

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

well sal likes to wet wade and i have a pair of 11 dollar wal-mart hiking boots for this. im such a redneck! :-D and when i do use waders i use the rubber hippers. strong enough to go through all the thorns i walk through all the time. i had a pair of breathable pucture on me like this. never bought them again so i dont use wading boots. but heres a gear review from someone that does!

http://www.nativebrooktrout.com/reviews/review1.html

oh ya almost forgot. any of you guys that are hardcore wild trout nuts i encourge you to join this forum. its laid back and informative. we dont argue points or positions. a simple tool for laid back discussions. brook trout rock!