New Wading Boot Recommendations Needed

SurfnSully

SurfnSully

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
I have always worn, for fall through spring, a pair of Simms Guide boots. But as I get older they seem to get heavier even though I feel confident in the water with their weight. Does anyone have a suggestion for some lighter but equally stable boots? I fish out of my drift boat and walk and wade a lot.

Thanks,
 
I have a pair of simms lightweight wading shoes. They look like tennis shoes to a degree. I love them. But there has been complaints by those who use them in the salt. I only use mine when wet wading and in fresh water. The cloth lace eyelets are vulnerable to wear and tear.
 
My Orvis lightweight boots have lasted longer than my Simms Flyweight boots did.
I use them almost exclusively in the salt and both have suffered lace loop failures.
I’ll need to start wearing my Patagonia / Danner RiverSalt boots more.
SF
 
Love/hate on the simms flyweights. Not too jazzed they’re dying long before I can wear through the felt. 50-60 days, some rocky miles, deep in self-destruct mode despite crude repair efforts. Pretty mixed reaction.

But, damn, the beautiful danner 2nds I bought are really freaking heavy in comparison. So I’m probably gonna do the flyweights again and just keep on bitchin about the glue/fabric/lace points/etc. Pretty hard to go back to heavier boots. If anyone with springier legs (or a drift boat) wants a deal on size 13 Pat/dans, used once….

IMG_4767.jpeg
 
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Give the Orvis Pro Wading Boot a try on before you buy. I wore Simms for years before these came out. They are a joy to wear.

www.orvis.com

Orvis PRO Wading Boot

The Orvis PRO Wading boots boast exceptional traction thanks to Michelin's innovative outsole.
www.orvis.com www.orvis.com
 
You may wanna consider the Patagonia Forra boots. I’ve been using them since October and estimate that I have 250-300 miles on them. The longest wade/walk trip I’ve worn them for was 11.5 miles in one day and I walked/waded over 16 miles in them in 1.5 days, earlier this week.

Like all boots, there are trade offs, but my experience is they are FAR superior to the simms Flyweight boots (wore through 2 pair of those last year… my humble opinion is that those boots are garbage and my honest opinion contains a lot more expletives…. So I’ll just be humble 😂)

The Forra insoles are junk. I would suggest buying a big enough pair so you can replace them with a thicker, more cushion/support insole.
The Forra laces, though they look cool, broke in the first couple months. This is mainly due to there being no loop on the boot to hook the bottom of your waders. Replace them with long aftermarket laces ( I use Ironlace Unbreakable) so you can 1) tie a dropper loop in them to attach your waders and 2) wrap twice around your ankle for better support.
The Forra ankle support isn’t the best… but better insoles and laces will help… a little…
The Forra soles are hard rubber built like monster truck tires. They work great for hiking… but take a while to get used to in the river. After wearing the simms flyweight boots with soft rubber, these felt like a brick at first. (P.S. the talk about “sticky rubber” is marketing fantasy… there is soft rubber and hard rubber…and soft rubber feels better but wears out quickly…sticky rubber”only exists for drag racing slicks)
The outer rubber “shield” around the top of the sole provides adequate protection for your feet, but the adhesive they used isn’t great and it is starting to open up in spots.
The sole “life” has been decent… I was hoping to get a full year out of these boots (or approx 500-600 miles/+100 wade trips), but I’m not sure they’ll make it. $300 for a pair of boots to last less than a year seems a bit much… but they have taken hard use/abuse, and they’ve been wet almost the whole time since I first wore them.

Long story short, there are massive flaws in just about every overpriced flyfishing clothing product on the market, but given my experience with the Forra boots (and a lot of other wading boots) I’d buy these again in a second.

Hope this helps.
 
Stonedfish said:
My Orvis lightweight boots have lasted longer than my Simms Flyweight boots did.
I use them almost exclusively in the salt and both have suffered lace loop failures.
I’ll need to start wearing my Patagonia / Danner RiverSalt boots more.
SF
Click to expand...
Fyi If you were not aware and for future reference, Orvis came out with the Pro LT Wading boot this year.
 
Interesting, I have a pair of the fly weights that I walk and wade the North Umpqua with. That river eats boots for breakfast. I have 2 seasons with them, and expect to get 2 more. My boots have only seen brackish water once, and never have been used in the salt; maybe that's the difference?
 
comfort first...if Simms is a good fit with the straighter last outline, why not stay within the lineup, as other boots tend towards more of a curved last which fit wider, curvier feet.
Personally prefer the Freestone model, relatively light with VG support.
 
IF and a big IF you can find the old Patagonia Lightweights…. They’re worth their weight in gold. Stay away from Korkers.
 
In the 90's I wore a pair of Chota's and they were the most comfortable ever. I wonder if they still make them??? I will google that.

I am looking at the Orvis and Simms again right now. thanks again :)
 
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