Durable Wading Boot Recommendations?

[Jacob Watrous]

I'm looking for recommendations of durable wading boots. I seem to wear out a pair of Simms wading boots (plastic/synthetic ones and leather ones makes no big difference in longevity) every year or two, and it's starting to annoy me to have to buy them so often and weigh on my conscience to throw them away/send them in for what I hope will be a repair but turns out to be a replacement most times.

Currently on my radar are the Patagonia Foot Tractors as they were created around being rebuilt, re-soled, and re-used but they only go up to 14 (which is my lower size limit) and I'm open to other ideas and suggestions. I burn through Korkers fast as the rubber/foam part that holds the clips wears out and then the replacable sole becomes unsafe, so while I like the ability to change soles often and keep reusing the boot it just doesn't work for me in practice.

 

[clarkman]

My Orvis Pros are going on some 6 years and probably 200ish days of hard use. But their construction is similar to most others out there. Still have these if I'm gonna be mostly hiking.

I did just get a pair of foot tractors recently which are insanely comfortable, although a little on the heavy side. TBD on longevity.

Agree on Korkers. Lack of durability is the least of my issues with them.

 

[Jacob Watrous]

My Orvis Pros are going on some 6 years and probably 200ish days of hard use. But their construction is similar to most others out there. Still have these if I'm gonna be mostly hiking.

I did just get a pair of foot tractors recently which are insanely comfortable, although a little on the heavy side. TBD on longevity.

Agree on Korkers. Lack of durability is the least of my issues with them.

Thanks for the suggestion. Orvis isn't usually on my radar because none of my local shops carry them (except the Orvis store in Seattle...which I haven't gone to because Seattle sucks) but I'll check them out. How are they holding up after 200 days? That's about the point where my Simms start to crap out and either get sent off to "repair" or get demoted to beach use.

As for being on the heavy side, how are the Patagonias in the water? Sometimes for me what seems heavy on the foot on dryland is a benefit and becomes fairly unnoticeable when wading.


EDIT: Forgot a few words in the middle of a sentence.

 

[Paige]

My korkers last 3-4 yrs and never had the issues you've had though.

 

[Shad]

Crazy how broad the range of experiences runs on wading gear. I seem to burn through most "pro" boots within a year, while some people keep the same pair of cheapies going for 5+ years. It honestly befuddles me.

My personal experience with Korkers boots has been absolutely stellar as regards durability. Mine are the Desert Canyon model or whatever... the top of their line, and they are designed to be tough; I have no experience with their other models. When I bought them, I was concerned I would have precisely the problem others have described in this thread (the sole attachment points on the soles wearing loose). To my amazement (and perhaps because I've been lucky), they're still going strong after 3.5 years (which is at least twice as long as boots typically last me).

I should note I have observed a few weak points while using my Korkers. First, while the soles still stay firmly in place during normal use, I have had them come off in deep, thick mud on two occasions. No big deal, but not something that happens with more traditional sole designs. In general, the connection points are getting a little looser, and I do expect that to become a point of ultimate failure eventually.

Next, out of necessity (to prevent tripping, etc.), the felt on Korkers soles is relatively thin and needs to be replaced every year or two. The replacement soles aren't ridiculous, but at $50, they aren't cheap, so felt is an expense you actually need to consider, moreso than with more traditional designs.

Finally, while they are tough as nails, my boots are a bit heavy when wet. I think (for now) that we may just have to accept that longevity generally comes with more weight and/or a bit less comfort. That has certainly been my experience, but as I said at the beginning, my mileage has, indeed, varied from that of others, so....

I'm still trying to find truly great wading boots, but so far, I think I have had the best longevity from Korkers, then Simms. I've heard good things about the Patagonias, but I have no personal experience with them. For comfort, I tend to prefer the softer, lighter styles, but those rarely last me more than a full year of normal use. All things considered, I generally opt for longevity... but I don't always get it!

 

[clarkman]

Jake, my Orvis boots show very little wear. I'm also running the rubber soles with studs rather than felt only.

My Patagonia/Danners are like mountain goats in the water. Great support and don't feel overly heavy. It's when I hike in them that I notice it halfway through the day. It you can go try some on, do so. They seem to run a little larger than most other boots I've used.

 

[clarkman]

Crazy how broad the range of experiences runs on wading gear. I seem to burn through most "pro" boots within a year, while some people keep the same pair of cheapies going for 5+ years. It honestly befuddles me.

Isn't that the truth!

I wouldn't be surprised if the next 5 who respond will have different "best" opinions.

 

[Stonedfish]

Here is an off the wall option.
I saw on another forum people purchasing these as wading boots.
If you can find them in the right size, they are less than $100 at many places. Google “ Danner hot rat boot”. They have Vibram soles and look “similar” to the Patagonia / Danner wading boots I have. Sizes up to 16.
I can’t vouch for the weight or durability.
SF

Marine Expeditionary Boot 8" Hot Mojave (M.E.B.)

Rugged all-terrain and built with nothing but the best materials. Developed side by side with the United States Marine Corps, the M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot) earned its name among elite warfighters as being the only proven USMC rugged all-terrain boot available. Precisely crafted with a...

www.danner.com

 

[Shad]

Here is an off the wall option.
I saw on another forum people purchasing these as wading boots.
If you can find them in the right size, they are less than $100 at many places. Google “ Danner hot rat boot”. They have Vibram soles and look “similar” to the Patagonia / Danner wading boots I have. Sizes up to 16.
I can’t vouch for the weight or durability.
SF

Marine Expeditionary Boot 8" Hot Mojave (M.E.B.)

Rugged all-terrain and built with nothing but the best materials. Developed side by side with the United States Marine Corps, the M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot) earned its name among elite warfighters as being the only proven USMC rugged all-terrain boot available. Precisely crafted with a...

www.danner.com

That looks like a great pair of boots for $100, wading or no.

 

[Jacob Watrous]

Crazy how broad the range of experiences runs on wading gear. I seem to burn through most "pro" boots within a year, while some people keep the same pair of cheapies going for 5+ years. It honestly befuddles me.

Oh, absolutely.

I think it comes down to how and where we individually walk, wade, and what our use looks like. Until recently I was 330lbs (now down to 226) which puts its own abuse on footwear, and according to the pedometer a typical river day for me might be 2.5+ miles. Having increasingly focused my weekends on rivers and less on beaches since COVID, that’s roughly 200-300+ miles a year in the freestone rivers of the PNW.

 

[Jacob Watrous]

Here is an off the wall option.
I saw on another forum people purchasing these as wading boots.
If you can find them in the right size, they are less than $100 at many places. Google “ Danner hot rat boot”. They have Vibram soles and look “similar” to the Patagonia / Danner wading boots I have. Sizes up to 16.
I can’t vouch for the weight or durability.
SF

Marine Expeditionary Boot 8" Hot Mojave (M.E.B.)

Rugged all-terrain and built with nothing but the best materials. Developed side by side with the United States Marine Corps, the M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot) earned its name among elite warfighters as being the only proven USMC rugged all-terrain boot available. Precisely crafted with a...

www.danner.com

For $100 I’m willing to look into them. Especially since Danner still offers to re-craft their boots.

 

[Matt B]

My Patagonia/Danners are like mountain goats in the water. Great support and don't feel overly heavy. It's when I hike in them that I notice it halfway through the day. It you can go try some on, do so. They seem to run a little larger than most other boots I've used.

100% this on the Pata-Danner foot tractors. Love the traction and stability, super durable, and super heavy. After a lot of use, and only a modicum of care, one dropped the felt sole. I looked into the repair process, and it would’ve been fine if I had backups to use during the month + that the rebuild would’ve taken, but I didn’t have that time or backups, so I took them to the downtown seattle retail store and they shipped me a brand new pair in 2 days.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

I can concur the Patagonia/Danners are comfortable and hold up well, and they hold like magnets while wading in cobble. I can also agree with others that they are relatively heavy, especially when wet.

I recommend applying Danner's leather treatment to keep them supple.

 

[Shad]

Oh, absolutely.

I think it comes down to how and where we individually walk, wade, and what our use looks like. Until recently I was 330lbs (now down to 226) which puts its own abuse on footwear, and according to the pedometer a typical river day for me might be 2.5+ miles. Having increasingly focused my weekends on rivers and less on beaches since COVID, that’s roughly 200-300+ miles a year in the freestone rivers of the PNW.

I do go harder on my wading gear than most, I have (to your point) been at least 20 pounds overweight my entire life, and I must admit to only recently learning the virtues of keeping things dry and out of the elements when you're not using them, so I do have SOME understanding of why I tend to burn through stuff faster than most. Like Jimmy Buffett said, "Hell, it could be my fault."

 

[Matt B]

For $100 I’m willing to look into them. Especially since Danner still offers to re-craft their boots.

The link Stoney put up says $400 for me. I don't know about that sole on our rivers. I am addicted to felt in that way, though.

 

[Stonedfish]

The link Stoney put up says $400 for me. I don't know about that sole on our rivers. I am addicted to felt in that way, though.

It looks like they may have made a model change, but these were the boots others were buying for wading boots on the other forum for less then $100.00.
SF

 

[Draketake]

Regarding Danner Boots. IIRC they dont offer the recrafting on some of their boots. I think you have to check each model. That said, I wear nothing but Danners for my work, hunting and camping endeavors, ( mostly the Insulated 400 grain Arcadias) and have done so for over 40 years.

I wear Patagonia Wading Boots as I just cant justify the price for the Foot Tractor. I know, I know heresy.....

Good luck in your quest.


Bob

 

[Banned user]

I don't have a brand or model to recommend, but as a former shoemaker, I will recommend that whatever boot you end up with, make sure the sole is stitched onto the upper, not glued onto it (Stoinedfish's pictures are good examples of a stitched outsole). A mechanical bond is a sure thing, and if your outsole wears out, you can easily have the boot re-soled. Most local cobblers will not guarantee a re-glue, and I don't blame them. All footwear these days is made with waterbased cements, and these hydrolize and disintegrate over time if immersed in water long enough.

 

[Brian Miller]

I burn through Korkers fast as the rubber/foam part that holds the clips wears out and then the replacable sole becomes unsafe, so while I like the ability to change soles often and keep reusing the boot it just doesn't work for me in practice.

12+year Korkers user here, getting an average 3-4 years use. I can envision the problem you're having. It's never happened to me but you undoubtably get out more than I do. I've had two pairs replaced under the standard one year warranty with no hassle at all.
1. The upper developed cracks; Korkers admitted a mfg defect and that boot was discontinued.
2. The knob on the heel for the sole strap partially broke off when wading around big rocks in pocket water
I recently purchased the lace up (BOA = terrible for me to ensure a comfortable fit) River Ops that has a 2 year warranty.

 

[jeradjames]

One caveat to the Pata Danner's besides the weight is that the eyelets rust quickly if you wade the salt frequently. I bought mine last August and were pretty rusty by October. I also rinsed them and cleaned them after each use. Still going strong but not sure how much longer the hardware will last.