Wading Shoes ?

[BigFishingShop]

Hi everyone, found these waders on ebay for reasonable and now I guess I need to decide on wading shoes or boots.

I decided to get sock foot this time around as last pair, boot & that area wore out too soon and was just cumbersome to walk in.

was wondering if should get cleated or ?? how do I size the shoe? just like my regular size 10 ?

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Thanks

BFS [fishin]
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[macfly55]

Id wait until you get the waders and try them on.. if they fit okay then take them with you to a shop where you can buy the wading boots and try the boots on with the waders on.. then you will know what size to get..

MacFly [cool]
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[BigFishingShop]

Pretty much what I feel too, see what fits have boots and shoes here too may work ??

Gonna try to be able to have them double as light duty work wear around my place this winter as well, I have used strap on crampons with my winter boots before and they failed the test (Wallyworld 6 buck specials) worked great before broke, hoping for some opinions on traction.

Rivers here are sandy to round granite boulders on coast, far as fishing goes can only see using corks on down wood, seems would be even worse step on one of these smooth rocks with them. I do have much experience walking in rivers & streams, much experience falling on kiester to go with [laugh] getting to age can't risk breaking bones.
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[Dryrod]

[center][font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]I only have one pair of boots and they have a felt sole. Works well on gravel and sandy base.[/size][/#008000][/font]
[center][font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]I would be reluctant to wear my boots for anything but wading. [/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

Yeah, that's pretty much why I went with the sock foot, versatility, figure I can just slip my felt lined rubber winter boots over them and play/work in snow ( any time [:p] now), figure wont be good in water, will fill up , like tennis shoe like felt lined wading shoes Im seeing with the felt soles made for the waders, you know our slick & round rocks lol,

thanks for input, I'm looking at felt sole stuff now, My conventional boots are nothing short of dangerous in these rivers.

BFS [fishin]
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[flygoddess]

I do think in the future that felt will go by the way side. Very easy to transport things that shouldn't be.
A couple of states have outlawed them and I notice more companies making the AQUA-STEALTH style sole.
I have had both, but I only use the Aqua-stealth now. They do work on slick rocks, plus they are 100% better in snow!
One thing Simms does, is on some of their shoes, Like the Ultra Lights that I have, they send a package of stainless steel sheet metal screws.
I put four in the ball portion of the boot and four in the heel. They are great traction and can be removed for like climbing in drift boats.

I even recommended the screws (which you can get at any Hardware store) for people buying shoes at Orvis. You can put them in any shoe and have CLEETS. Just don't get too long[laugh] OUCH!
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[Dryrod]

[#008000][size 4][font "Garamond"][#008000]Well you are probably right about felt soles riding into the sunset. While the felt is much harder to clean or keep clean disinfecting them is an easy process. Just don't see myself popping for a pair of Simms any time soon with a price tag of around $130. Understand that those [/#008000][#000000][size 3][#008000][size 4]AQUA-STEALTH style soles grip very well.[/size][/#008000] [/size][/#000000][/font][/size][/#008000]
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[Brook]

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
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[BigFishingShop]

[laugh], always brings me a . I live way up in the mountains in a snow belt as it is lol, simply amazing never broke a bone from a fall. (Certainly not because I havent been trying)

like in skydiving (which I will never do unless the craft is doing it already) it's not the fall I'm worried about, it's the landing [pirate]. I like the sheet metal screw idea, always experimenting. Glad I decided on the sock foot waders so now can try different stuff, my first full time winter on the mountain since purchased 2 years ago, but just like where your at, dont have to live up Cottonwood canyon to be snowed on lol ( I actually lived about 3/4 the way up Little cottonwood for a winter in my camper on a guys land zoiks, big snow !! but ice was more dangerous down the hill in city.

Oh the felt is carrying critters huh, like Milfoils on boats ??
Yeah I guess the entire piping system for souther CA water had got infested with these freshwater barnicles, (native to way back east somewhere) about shut down Los Angeles !! Thanks again flygoddess, I am looking for some quality quick connect cletes that can take off in instant say in town, safe on icy street, need to walk into someones nice building. find something prob on ebay, dang shoes though.

Can really score there because you are limited to potential buyers of a certain size, but they are shoes, ya simply gotta be able to try on a shoe. Let ya kow what I find, thanks,

BFS [fishin]
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[Brook]

>ya simply gotta be able to try on a shoe. <

Don't tell Friend Wife that. She'll watch me walk in to buy regular shoes, try on a pair or two, and pay the man. That's the usually proceedure. Start to finish, maybe 15 minutes.

Then she came with me one time when I was buying a new set of hiking boots. Uh, huh! Two hours later I finally settled on the pair I wanted.

Ya gotta just keep your priorities in order. []

Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
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[flygoddess]

MAN! Sometimes, laptops are a pain....I had an answer all typed out and the battery died...DANG IT!

Anyway, most wading boots are designed with the idea of a little bigger for the neoprene bootie on waders. So you can buy the same size as the street shoe. BUT, the neoprene bootie has to be a good fit which in some cases doesn't happen like mine. I have to buy mens medium waders for the length (yes they are roomy) but the foot is way bigger than I need so I have to pull the booty up the back and buy shoes one full size larger.
But, men don't have this problem.
You should be able to buy your size, but some are more narrower than others and in some cases you want a 1/2 size larger for layering.

You really do need to try the shoes on WITH the waders.

Brook, stainless steel cause of rust. Plus being harder they last longer and can be removed and re inserted.
All metal cleets can be slippery on big rocks, that is where felt shines, but the suction cup tread on the rubber soles are noce and you don't risk having snow stick to them like felt.
My old man has the Simm's GUIDE with the aquastealth sole and titanium cleets, so harder is a good thing for the most part.
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[BigFishingShop]

Aint that the truth [sly] . I have some disc problems that if I dont have that "just right" shoe, my back starts hurtin'
I drive em nuts at walmart lol, have stuff pulled out everywhere [laugh] . And boots are much touchier that way that tennis shoes. It's funny. will be on a logging stage and only guy there wearing Nike's, but I can move lol.


BFS [fishin]
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[Brook]

>Brook, stainless steel cause of rust.<

So I figured.

>All metal cleets can be slippery on big rocks, that is where felt shines,<

Maybe rephrase that to say all modern metal cleets. The old hobnails worked perfectly, for the reason I gave.

Our problem here is trying to achieve a balance. Felt does, indeed, work great on bare rock. And sand. And gravel. But when you have slime-coated sheet rock, the problem is cutting through the green ick so that you're actually on rock. But that growth quickly clogs up felts.

For me, the Shoe Chains were the best compromise. And I know they still sell them, under another name that I can't recall. They cut through the slime, and grab the rock.

Still and all, anything is better than the plain rubber soles found on some hippers. Those things will put you on your tush just because they enjoy doing it. [crazy]

I haven't looked at new wading gear in some time. Maybe I need to check out that Aquastealth.

Brook
[url "http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com"]http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com[/url]
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[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Going with a ½ size larger boot worked for me. In fact when I went to purchase my boots I brought all my gear with me so that when I tried on boots I knew that they would be a perfect fit.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

Searching cheap deals now shoes, cleats etc Thanks, keeping all in mind.

BFS [fishin]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

These are not cheap:

[url "http://korkers.com/water.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchSubCategory=24"]http://korkers.com/water.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchSubCategory=24[/url]

But I can tell you that I have a pair of wading boats with removable soles. My soles with these same cleats screwed into hard rubber soles are the greatest in all conditions on the trail, near the water and in the water. algae covered bowling balls, ice sheets, wet grassy banks, truck size boulders.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

FG wrote: I do think in the future that felt will go by the way side. Very easy to transport things that shouldn't be.
A couple of states have outlawed them .......
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FG, Do you know what states have outlawed the use of felt soles?
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[flygoddess]

Thanks DR, there you go Scruffy LOL

I can't tell you what states as it didn't stick in my mind, but a couple other forums I visit, they reported that they are illlegal ..NOW (back east), but as the mass sits, they will be in 2011.
Simm's has stopped projected for 2010.
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[BigFishingShop]

Thanks Scruffy, yeah thats what I am looking for, need new for this winter just to wear, I live at 3,000 el in the mountains here, will be at least 3 1/2 months snow sticking around, last winter set a record and I had 7 feet accumulate, was winter non stop back to back snow storms for over 7 months !! yup, was still digging out the last of it in early June, was surrealistic, wierd how I am prepping , seem so soon.

Thanks for the link, got them bookmarked

BFS [fishin]
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[Dryrod]

[center][font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Seems to me that a snow blower would be priority #1![/size][/#008000][/font]
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