Vibram/spikes

kmudgn

Life of the Party
I bought a new pair of Korkers which came with a spiked Vibram sole. I have always used spiked felt when needed for very slippery conditions. Does anyone have experience with this combo?spikes.jpg with the spiked Vibram for use with slippery sites.
Thanks
 
I bought a new pair of Korkers which came with a spiked Vibram sole. I have always used spiked felt when needed for very slippery conditions. Does anyone have experience with this combo?View attachment 186190 with the spiked Vibram for use with slippery sites.
Thanks
I tried them once. Not very helpful. The plain felts work best for me.
 
Don’t have Korkers but I have some Patagonia boots with studs and they are decent in terms of grip but no where near as good as the felts with studs. Runner up to felt IMO in terms of grip are the aluminum bars.
 
I have used felt with studs for several decades when a river/stream is 'slippery as snot'.

One can not use felt soled boots in YNP (and other places) - so the Vibram soled ones may come in handy...
 
I have used the old style rubber soles with studs for years on rivers that are moderately slick, but always felt or felt with studs for rivers like the Deschutes.
 
Personally, I don't like either the rubber (although, looks like they finally wised up and started using Vibram, so that'll help a little) or the studs that come on Korkers soles. Too slick for my taste.
 
Felt and studs if needed and allowed...
 
Felts & studs most of the time, just felt most of the rest of the time, and vibram with studs for YNP or local saltwater use.
 
Understand there are limits to any style of wading boot.

For instance, I was on RC where The Merc is situated. I was wearing felt with carbide tipped studs on a slower side channel about 10" deep. Hooked a nice brown. Both boots well embedded until they weren't. Started moving downstream with the fish on. Holy crap! Fish or get my balance? Fish of course! Wrong! As I approached the main channel, fell down and hurt my kneecap.

If you want to experience a 'slipplier than snot' creek, try RC.

There is an old adage ' don't bring a knife to a a gunfight '. The same applies to proper gear when wading.

Any other boot/sole configuration would of been much worse.
 
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I find the Korkers studded vibram soles to be the next best thing to felt. The studs are solid carbide, don’t wear down or fall out. I’ve tried simms vibram soled boots and added studs and aluminum stars - the Korkers are better.
Their klingon soles were super slick - horrible.
 
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