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[Funeral Of Hearts]

Got some neoprene chest waders for xmas from my father in law. And now i need boots. I've never owned waders (other than the chear plastic ones from walmart with the boot built in. So now I guess i need to buy some boots because these ones have a "sock' like soft bottom instead of a built in boot.

What should i be looking for in boots for the waders? any suggestions on brands/features?

Thanks.

[newsman]

They are all pretty much the same. So just go out do some shopping. The other route is to make your own out old hiking or work boots, by planing the soles flat and glueing carpet to the bottoms. I personally prefer to make my own with my old work boots, because the leather uppers offer more ankle support.   

[Steelhead King]

Depends on how much you want to spend.... Hodgeman- lakestream old time classic. good for nothing really but they are cheap. New style Korker, came in three style, range from 100-300. They all came with 2 interchangeable sole (rubber and felt), lots of ankle support but narrow width.  Simms, by far the best one the market, stylish, good quality, and wide range of sizes (even is 1/2 size.)   Prince range from 100- 350, its worth every single penny, even the lower end modle they made, they still share the same quality and workmanship as the high end modle.  Beside Simms, other company can be consider is Patagonia, they also make some high quality boots but they don't have the wide selection of sizes and style as simms...  Good luck finding a new pair of boots.. Just Keep that in mide, you gonna spend a whole lot of time standing, hiking around while fishing, good boots is a must. Don't just grab something on the shelf because the price.

[firstlight]

Check out the William Joseph boots as well as Corkers.
They are both very reasonable and have decent ankle support.
Hodgemans are crap.

[Rodney]

Comfort would be the primary feature that you need to pay attention to. Your feet may only be comfortable in a particular model. It is best not to spend a bit less for a pair that might be slightly narrower or shorter than they should be, because after a few km's on loose gravels and slippery boulders you would wish to have purchased those slightly wider or longer pair. My recommendation would be to go into the store and try different brands on with neoprene socks underneath them. Walk around in them for a bit. The second feature to look for would be durability. This comes down to how much you plan to fish. If you do a lot of walking and do a few dozens trips per year, then higher end models of brands with a good reputation are recommended. In the long run it would be cheaper to have one more expensive pair for two years instead of two cheaper pairs with a shorter lifespan in the same amount of time. Patagonia and Simms would be my choices.

[newsman]

While we are on the subject; the best price I have found for quality strap on "Corkers" is at Lee Valley Tools. They call them "Icers" and are in the $40 range. And Yes I have tried them, had mine for a year now. Made a big difference (after I got use to walking with them) in the Thom last summer.

[Funeral Of Hearts]

How does that work with felt soles? Is it ok to put them on at your truck and walk a trail to the river/lake/ or should a second pair of shoes be taken for that purpose?

also is a felt sole something i would want? i was told they would be the way to go.

[Rodney]

Yes, you definitely need felt sole. Pretty much all wading boots come with it (there's also Simms' Aquastealth sole on its L2 model). You just put them on at the truck and walk through the trail. The amount of wear and tear on the trail would be very minimal compared to when you walk on the rocks at the river bank.

[bentrod]

You also really need to consider support.  No one likes to twist an ankle.  I just finished my third year in my Simms L2 with aqua stealth.  The boot is pretty durable, but the big bonus is great support, light weight, drains freely and has a great sole.  I really like aquastealth because it doesn't absorb water, mud, rocks etc and feel like I'm lugging around ankle weights.  They also clean up quickly, don't track mud into stores and don't absorb parasites like whirling disease to transfer from stream to stream.  If it's really snotty, I just screw in the carbide studs for extra traction. 

[Jamison Jay]

Like others have said there is a big range in what's available. You can spend a little like the hogeman, THey didn't make it a full season for me. Or you can go pricey like the Simms G3. The G3 are bigger money but you'll never have a more comfortable feeling boot.

If you do go cheap then it might be worth looking at Cabelas guide brand, I picked up a pair for back-ups, seem pretty good so far. In the midrange, the Simms freestone aren't bad. It really depends on how much you plan on using them. My old simms guides are going on 5years now.

As far as felt soles go, yes you want them. And you can hike, walk trails, do wahtever you need to do to get to the fishing spots. Just know that in snow or muck they get slippery.

[Jonny 5]

The Korkers are crap, my buddy has them and theres nothing like walikng 20-30 yards then having to fix the bottom because they pop out all the time.

I think your buddy should check his korkers for little stones or junk in the  bottom of the boots cause they should not pop out.  I got a set of them about 6 months ago, and use them once a week, and have not had any problems.  Actually, I really like them for the ankle support.  Also know a guy out in the fraser valley that fishes with them about 3-4 times a week and had said good things about them.

[testo84]

The Korkers are crap, my buddy has them and theres nothing like walikng 20-30 yards then having to fix the bottom because they pop out all the time.

couldnt agree more

[EZ_Rolling]

I have the Korkers as well and allthough I have only worn them once I would say they are great not one issue to report.

I got the Guide boot another thing to note they have changed the sole plate in the newer version of the boot.
I love the boa lace so easy to tighten the boot up for when the going gets rough and when you get to the river or truck you can easily loosen them.

[hotrod]

I have the Simms freestones and they are very good. Super light and big support for those days of hiking to the honey holes and wading through rocky river beds. I look at it as, I spend $100 on running shoes might as well spend the same on my wading boot. I probably go through one pair a year.The main reason I get a new pair too is that they just become too stinky for me to stand anymore.I could use them a lot longer. I would recommend any boot that has big ankle support and are lightweight. There are alot of good boots out there.



   Hotrod

[Steelhead King]

The Korkers are crap, my buddy has them and theres nothing like walikng 20-30 yards then having to fix the bottom because they pop out all the time.

Check the sole, i know a buddy of mine got a pair of the old one, got a wrong sized sole for his korker.. The new style korker will never have that problem...