10-28-2008, 05:21 PM
So, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The original non-slip soles (back when waders were made of rubberized canvas) where studded with hobnails.
I'm surprised to hear about stainless, though. Hobnails are soft metal, and the non-slip characteristic actually came from the rocks biting into the nails, rather than the other way.
On the face of it, I would think stainless would, being so hard, slide across a rock surface.
Years back I was involved with the people who introduced what were called Shoe Chains; essentially tire chains for you feet. They were a net of chain stretched across an oval of (probably) silicone. They would stetch over your foot.
They were non-slip on any surface except dry cement or tile. Try walking across a bank lobby with them on, and I guarantee you'd be on your duff. But they were ideal for wading.
There was a funny story about how they came about, too.
I've still got a couple of sets kicking around, and use them on our local streams, which, by and large, are slime-coated limestone.
Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
[signature]
The original non-slip soles (back when waders were made of rubberized canvas) where studded with hobnails.
I'm surprised to hear about stainless, though. Hobnails are soft metal, and the non-slip characteristic actually came from the rocks biting into the nails, rather than the other way.
On the face of it, I would think stainless would, being so hard, slide across a rock surface.
Years back I was involved with the people who introduced what were called Shoe Chains; essentially tire chains for you feet. They were a net of chain stretched across an oval of (probably) silicone. They would stetch over your foot.
They were non-slip on any surface except dry cement or tile. Try walking across a bank lobby with them on, and I guarantee you'd be on your duff. But they were ideal for wading.
There was a funny story about how they came about, too.
I've still got a couple of sets kicking around, and use them on our local streams, which, by and large, are slime-coated limestone.
Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
[signature]