Vibram or felt sole..?

The Fish Whisperer

The Fish Whisperer

Steelhead
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Hopefully, this hasn't been discussed too much in the past, but here it goes.

Years ago I bought my first pair of Vibram soled boots. I did this thinking I could contribute to lowering the possibility of transmitting some kind of disease to the next river or lake. I always cleaned my boots with a light bleach solution just in case. If anyone has any insight to something like Whirling disease, please chime in.

Anyway, I am ready to switch back to felt as my Danner Vibram soles just seem too slippery.

What all do you prefer and why do you like that particular brand or sole...?
 
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Vibram without studs, cleats, or bars is, for me, a nonstarter. No matter what Vibram says, in my experience bare rubber is not grippy enough when submerged. To me it requires studs or cleats. One caveat, though, is not to add too many.

Felt is great unless there's snow or mud or it's cold enough to freeze and I'm walking between spots.

I've usually switched between rubber with studs/cleats and felt but since you asked about brand, on January 1st I started trying a pair of Patagonia foot tractors (aluminum bars) and while I've only gone about 15 miles in them I have tried them in snotty rock, mud, freestone cobble, beach sand, beach cobble, boulders, and snow. They handled all of that beautifully and I did not find myself wishing for my felt or other boots.

Edit: Handleded is not a word.
Edit 2: Neither is cleates.
 
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I was a full believer in felt/studded felt, but since I started using the Korkers River Ops with the studded Vibram soles, I don't really feel the need to go back to felt. I still have felt soles to throw on them if the need arises, but it hasn't yet. Vibram without the studs probably wouldn't be great.
 
Vibram with studs.
SF
 
For the rivers I fish in SE Wa, flow wise, rock size, and degree of slickness, Korker felt soles are dandy. Plus I no longer wade aggressively. The included rubber isn't great, and I don't even bother to carry them for walks in or out, even on the road. The felts give me a full year/80-100+ days. The rubber with studs aren't much better in my experience. Haven't felt the need to try the felt with studs. A bit slick in snow, I have fallen on my butt a time or three.
 
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Felt. I also have a pair of aluminum bar Foot Tractors, which have great traction but I think they are loud (especialy when walking on a gravel road) and maybe loud underwater. I trust felt and never felt the need to stud them.
 
For river wading, I'll take felt over Vibram all day, every day. Felt with studs, even better. I have one set of Vibram soled wading boots that I use for salt water wading and Yellowstone National Park, where felt soles are prohibited. Vibram with studs may be OK for rivers, but I don't think they beat felt with studs. It's true that felt is poor in mud and snow, but nothing's perfect.
 
I use the vibram with aluminum hex cleats on my korkers for the river (well for the beach as well because I'm lazy and don't change them out) unless I'll be in someone's drift boat or raft, when I swap them out for felt. For floating in my watermaster I usually stick with the cleats, they quickly get rounded so they don't feel like they're sharp enough to do damage when they brush up against the raft.
 
I'm mostly Michelin rubber plus studs (Orvis Pros) since I hike a ton, unless I'm in a boat, then it's my Danner Foot Tractor felt.
 
Had to use Vibram last year in Patagonia. In hindsight should have mounted aluminum studs prior but being the first pair ever what do I know. Grabbed some screws in town third afternoon. About the most useless foot gear ever in slippery, slime covered settings.

Weinbrenner’s or Danner with felt & studs forever…….or drift boat. End of Story!
 
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