
In most athletic pursuits – with the possible exception of surfing and beach volleyball, comfort, enjoyment, and often performance, begins with the footwear worn.
Think about playing a round of golf on a wet course while wearing flip flops; or walking uphill in a deep winter snowfield in running shoes.
The same is true with fly fishing – particularly when wearing waders in cold water (whether freshwater or saltwater). Wet wading – wading without waders in warmer water typically during summer, won’t be discussed here.
The foundation of wading – whether from the beach or stream side, or jumping from a boat into shallows – is wading boots.
The biggest names in wading boots are Korkers, Orvis, Patagonia, and Simms. As in most footwear, styles and fit change – often resulting in challenges finding a good fit. For example, I wore Simms G3s for years, until I needed a new pair. But the replacements rubbed my ankle and they were uncomfortable – so I switched to Korkers, and the pair I have (River Ops) fit much better.
For many, the biggest problem with wading boots is the weight. Most are in the range of four to six pounds per pair.
Oh, and one other thing. Just like hiking boots, many have stiff uppers and relatively thick soles to provide the ankles when walking in and among the rocks found in typical conditions. When doing beach wades in saltwater, with an out and back distance of one to two miles on cobbled beaches, walking back up the hill to car can be very tiring.
Given it’s not just a beach issue – as many fly fishers have to walk miles through woods or fields to their favorite streams, the industry has responded with most companies offering a light version.
This year I determined I was going to go light with wading boots.
I first tried the Patagonia Forra boots. I typically wear size 11 wading boots (with a size 10 foot). First, I tried the size 11 Forra’s – pinched toes. Then I tried the size 12’s. They fit better but I was concerned the fit was still uncomfortable.
As I was returning them, I saw an email announcement for Korker’s new Chromelite boots. Given my experience with my Korker’s River Ops, I decided to try them.
To cut to the chase, they are great.
Size 11 fits me just like all my other wading boots. They are light – less than three pounds per pair. They have an upper of synthetic materials (i.e., no leather). The upper itself is supportive but is more flexible than typical wading boots.
And they have a new sole system that’s intended to provide additional traction – one of the problems with rubber soles is they can be slippery on rocks, which is one reason most come with metal studs, or they can be installed, that dramatically improves traction. This is a fixed sole; it can’t be swapped out like with other Korkers.
I used them for the first time on Narrows Park beach – a mix of sand and cobblestone, with mostly the latter.
Walking in them I was careful at first as I wasn’t sure how their traction would be. I chose to walk on cobblestones to check traction. Only once did I feel any slipping. Still I was paying attention. I’ll buy the studs made for this boot when they become available at the end of the month just for additional insurance if (more likely when) I’m not paying attention.
The boots felt like I was wearing running shoes. It was terrific.
They use the BOA closure system, which I’ve not used before – my River Ops have laces. It worked really well and gave me a firm but comfortable fit.They have internal drainage through the sole, which worked as advertised. Draining water away makes for a lighter boot whenever coming out of the water.
About the only downside is that I think I could feel the rocks underfoot more than with my heavier boots. But that was a minor inconvenience.
What about my River Ops? I’m going to keep them. Always want a backup pair. And, while not likely, if I was going on a trip of a lifetime to a remote location, I’d take them – or any pair with laces. BOA systems can be replaced, but swapping out laces is a lot easier and quicker.
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