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Flats Boots?

25K views 44 replies 15 participants last post by  figen 
#1 ·
I searched the archives but wondered if any new products are available.

Currently I own the Bite Primals but I find them a bit heavy and bulky.

I have a wide foot and I think Juro you had the same question a while back about something comfortable for a wide foot.

Is there anything out there that is light and easy to pack yet does the job of keeping the sand out and protects the foot from hard stuff on the bottom?

As usual I appreciate all your help.

Thank you.
 
#2 ·
I've been researching this actively since the last pair of my ULTIMATE flats shoes are exploding at the seams. Man they were the best flats shoes possible. I may even do extensive repairs to keep them alive for a few more seasons.

I'll post results after I test the new candidates in the field, I will be field testing surf (most invasive sand situation), flats (comfort, distance walking, stealth), estuaries (muck) before the season begins.

Summary - no substitute yet, will report my findings - anyone else with a good solution pls report.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Get a pair of Merrill sandels that slip over the foot waders...or a pair of running shoes.....that is all you need to do....toss them when they wear out...but they will last as long or longer than some of these made for wading type. Go to Ocean State Job Lot or some discount sneaker place. We still look to find waders that don't leak...and they do....wading shoes are not what I think as a good investment....we are smothered with too many choices...in everything... 150 pairs of running shoes....10 different type of waders...and you can pay $600 for a pair.....Guys still skied well with laced up ski boots...or played championship tennis in Jack Purcell tennis sneakers.... or as I did , with PF flyers (not Championship tennis)....I like a good pair like anyone else and they feel good....but I will not buy in to Madison Avenue....it just seems that we see posts all the time about waders leaking, shoes leaking ....and then go out an buy the latest hype after they say they will not...and...they do. that's all.
 
#4 ·
I have Merrells, and pebbles, bits of shells, etc - get inside them. Others who venture out with me wearing them are cursing in minutes. They try them exactly once. I do like them for putzing around town though.

Sneakers would have to be high-tops and the vents not open. The biggest problem is sand invasion in the surfline. A very effective gaitor system would make sneakers usable, one of the options I am looking at now.

It's not the wearing of the sole that is the issue. The vast majority of footwear delivers a good sole to walk on. It's not about wear - wading boots used in rivers last for many years.

IMHO - the problems lie in how the shoe works with the rest of the wader in surf, fast currents, and long walks to keep sand and debris out while supporting death marches over variable terrain and not coming loose.
 
#5 ·
Yes..all true...It just seems that the expense is heavy for shoes that are really not quite different than a ordinary pair of hiking shoes....and I agree... a good pair of gaiters will help with the sand in the surf line...I like the open toe sandal, even when I wear waders since the sand can get kicked out ...but the main problem is that they just will not last...so this is why I will buy just those I can toss.
 
#6 ·
Thanks

Thank you guys... great info and just the detail I was looking for.

I am leaning towards the running shoe option because I walk a lot for my exercise and keep the old used running shoes for kicking around.

If I can figure out a gaiter system to keep out sand I would have a disposable supply of wading shoes.

Again thank you for taking the time to help!
 
#7 ·
Frank, I found a pair of Calcultta wading booties in Florida 2 yrs ago....on their 2nd season...work well....cheap ($40 range)....very light............has an ugly skull and crossbone ensignia on the side....but that keeps the tourists away :wink:
They are all I used last yr....very, very little sand in them even after 8 hrs of walking and flats fishing. I don't do surf much, but ifIi used these in surf ofter, I would tape the top with duct tape. The few timesIi used them in the surf...they really weren't bad as the top stretches and give a nice tight fit.
Keeping sand out of boots or booties is like keeping water out of my basement when the water table is high....pump or not...there is water.
Bare feet is best :chuckle:
Ron
 
#8 ·
Better living thru CHEMISTRY...

NO more sand in my phlatz bootz... :tsk_tsk:
I've got a 5 gallon tub of clear "plasti-dip"... :confused:
Several hours before leaving the house I dip both pheet and wait for it to set up... :eek:
Two coats if there might be a marathon death march... :whoa:
At the end of the day, just peel it off and I'm goodtogo... :hihi:
Hair is only a problem ONCE... but you gott'a repeat the process every week... :Eyecrazy:
Can't wait 'til the 55 gallon drum arrives... :razz:
 
#9 ·
Frank I assume you are talking tropical flats boots?

I have the simms flats boots and if you get some long white cotton tube socks and fold them down just over the top of the boots they keep out most of the sharp stuff. This even worked at Turneffe which is almost all coral and super sharp - you would not make it 100 feet from the boat in sandals.

On a nice hard white sand flat in the bahamas, nothing is quieter than stalking bones barefoot.

The idea of anything neoprene on my feet in a tropical environment is a turn off.

Phleuger rules!
 
#10 ·
Thanks

Penguin
I am phlabergasted by your phantastic logic! Why didn't one of us think of that before?
A Phly Phorum Phirst!!!

BigDave
thanks for the ideas and the laugh at the end of your note!

Ron
Got your emails....thanks

regards,

PHRANK

gad now Penguin's got me doing it!
 
#12 ·
n1gdo said:
d.

If I can figure out a gaiter system to keep out sand I would have a disposable supply of wading shoes.
Try a 1mm pair of neoprene socks. Dan Bailey's has them, but if you don't want to patronize Madison Ave. a local dive shop should have them as well. Get ones that fit snugly around the top (most of them do). Virtually no sand inside the boot OR between the sock and your feet. These are far easier to find in 2mm and 3mm, but I've found the 1mm far preferable and worth the time it takes to find them. Remember, as a last resort try Bailey's. Woops! I just checked my latest Bailey's catalog (2009) to get an idea on price, and I don't see them in there any longer. Try you local dive shop. They should have them.
 
#14 ·
Yes...they are another solution...I use crocks when wet wading and they are great on sand...don't sink in....and cheap too. They can fit over the neoprene foot ...o the lesser thickness of lighter waders....the ones with the adjustable back strap are perfect. The holes alow you to simply kick out the sand when in 3 or four inches of water.
 
#15 ·
Anything like crocs, running shoes or sandals will fall off if you sink into the mud in a marsh and if you are more than ankle deep you'll never find them again, not too practical in my mind. If you're going to get shoes to go over your waders they should work under all conditions, you never know what you're going to come up against till you get there and there's nothing worse than a total failure of your footwear when you're mile and half from your car because you didn't want to spend the money for good boots.
Jon
 
#16 · (Edited)
That is simply not true...My sandels or tied running shoes have NEVER fallen off sinking in sand or estuary mud. Has it happened to you? It sounds like you have worn them..which brand? Have you worn them or are you just guessing? Bahama fishing is almost all sandels on flats....and our beaches , even in fast currents on Monomoy does not cause that problem. In fact, as many know here..I fished for 3 years on the flats and walked the beaches bare foot....The point being is that the good boots you refer to don't last either.....so why buy them ...just because they are refered to as "flyfishing Boots". If you want high tops to secure them...buy those..but will not have "simms", "Orvis", or "Whatever" on the label....
 
#17 ·
John,
It hasn't happened to me, I wouldn't take the chance. Properly tied laces that are not covered by gravel guards can and will come undone,Velcro comes apart, but maybe you have solutions to those problems.
My experience in 40 years of wading rivers, ponds, beaches, flats, marshes etc. is that there are no shortcuts when it comes to what you wear on your feet, I do a lot of walking in waders, when I'm fishing with other people I usually cover four or five times as much area as my companions, and if I'm alone I cover more. BTW, wading trout streams with slippery rocks, big cobbles, soft mud, heavy currents etc is a lot more demanding than Cape beaches and creeks.
Jon
 
#18 · (Edited)
Sorry Jon.. there you go again with the elitist comments.... Your are perfect 21st century gear guy..I don't think for a moment that those conditions are more demanding and having done this for 40 years as well I must disagree...I have fished most of my early life in such streams and ponds, etc. Felt soles is a different story as are corkers...for rocks....Now... history tells us that we did not have such BS equipment and 20 different kind of wading shoes (not to mention the countless useless flylines). I will end with a quote from the God father of saltwater fly fishing...Joe Brooks who stated on Page 19 of the bible.
". Most saltwater wading can be done in ordinary tennis shoes, but there are some places where a thick rubber sole is definitely needed. Along the Florida keys, where the wader will encounter coral formations, such a sole is a necessity for confort." You see Jon...they did not have all the useless choices...but somehow they were ok...right.?

I am sure he wrote that and had not checked with you but the point of all this is the falling for the "LATEST"...which break down" too. I can not go back and forth...but I hope the readers here don't fall for the wading shoe argument you put forth... I could probably sell you a bottle of beer with my own home made label "For Flyfishermen Only"... The beer real flyfishermen drink.:lildevl: ;) It is all marketing... and you have fallen for it.;) :)....One final point..you say that you have not used the sneaker...so how would you know they are a problem???? you WERE only guessing then.
 
#19 ·
Google the new wader hunting jeans with boots attached. Cabelas. Now, if they would only do the same for some flats pants with attached flats booties. The wading pants would keep the sand and coral out of the boot. I used to have a knock off pair of $29.00 flea weight stockingfoot waders without the neophrene booties. Worked great with sneakers until sand got in the arch.

Phil
 
#20 · (Edited)
With waders, I have never argued against some form of neoprean to keep sand out. My point is the shoe itself....It's funny because this all has reminded me me of a meeting I had about 10 years ago with a friend of my son's who was a young management trainee with Fireman at Reebok... we were talking and I remember asking why they did not make fishing shoes...he seemed to know a bit and stated that they were focusing on running and the latest movement of workout and walking shoes... That they were not looking at that marketing. network... a philosophical thing I guess...but... in our conversation he said they could make them.. and they would be made with the same material as the running shoes with small hitches here and there...like holes in the sides, etc....the right "outdoor" color to attract the fisherman... I listened ....and my recollection was that he said they could charge a fortune for them . The profit margin was high...they would go for more than the running shoes...and I remember him saying all the others were high priced and they would not make it if they charged less...I had asked why...he said because in that market you have to charge more because the public always thinks specialty shoes are WORTH more...I scratched my head...If they charged less... that market would think they are scrape...and yet the material is no different....you could even make them cheaper since you would not have the support issues you have with running shoes.... The thing is you could also look at cheap hiking boots if you want the high ties...the outlet have tons on sale some for 20 bucks
 
#21 ·
Warm + dry + comfortable = GOOD... = Unobtainium...?!

so...
I'm questing for the equivalent of a "golden phleece"...
a pair of durable, well fitting waders with attached comfortable, supportive, shoes/boots that wear like sneakers and are completely impervious to sand infiltration...
The folks at Simms married their waders with Muck boots some years back...
that relationship has worked out well [from what I have heard from several friends who liked them a lot but who never really did any serious marathon death marching around in them]...
For years I've worn the Simms Guide Wading pants with neoprene socks... the sizing was good [for me] and they have served me very well...
I've gone through many different phlatz booties, paddling booties, shake your booties, et al...
The booties come with or without zippers...
zippers get loaded with sand and removal [of the bootie and/or the offending sand] can be quite a project...
Booties without the zippers [but with a snug fit around the ankles] are much more physically challenging to don and doff but, once on, seem to do a good job... but the sand still invades, lest I resort to a "duct tape" seal at the vulnerable junction...
and velcro straps and fasteners will literally clog with fine sand and silt and be rendered somewhat ineffective...
Bare naked wading [almost] had been a frequent consideration during my younger and phoolish yearz but I have gotten older, well seasoned, and more cold sensitive... I do prefer to stay warm and dry... and I appreciate "happy pheet" at the end of the day...
phancy insoles are nice but when supplemented with sand they can become debilitating...
I am about to phield test an intersting and promising alternative to duct tape and will post a review once the event has come to pass...
A Golden Phleece made of Unobtainium... 'when pigz phly?... 'in my dreamz?... hmmmmm!?
weshallsee!?
'report to phollow, photos at eleven...
 
#23 · (Edited)
Pete....you have always been an innovator. Did not know about Simms and Muck boots. But I guess I would't. I use muck boots when driven bird shooting. Now I won't if they are used for flyfishing wading.....:rolleyes:

Chainlynx, That cinch strap is on some models of Crocs but you are probably referring to a better strap...I use crocs now...why?..Inexpensive...all one piece...holes to let sand out....easy to kick sand out on dry beaches...and virtually indestructable. There wide bottom rides on top of sand like a deflated tire for overland vehicle setup. Also very light... The Fly gear manufacturers will not touch that type of shoe..... I know why. They can not touch it with the croc patent...but someone will cut a deal with crocs and do it....But the down side for them is that you can simply buy the crocs and not pay the premium for having a fly gear label on them...or fabricate a certain type strap for waders...but once again...up will go the price.
 
#24 ·
I've used Chota flats wading boots for years now and they're awesome. I picked them for one simple reason: Nobody else makes a flats boot in my size (15).

I just got back from 2 weeks in the Bahamas and I never got sand in them wading. They're super comfortable, have held up with zero issues after 7 years of hard use, protect your feet amazingly well, and like I said don't get any sand in them. After an entire day of wading through sand, I might have 20 grains of sand in them at the end of the day.

Last year wading on Acklins through lots of muck that was often knee-deep, they never felt like they were going to come off and nothing got in them in those conditions either. I've also used them in the surf on the Cape lots of times and they were great there too.
 
#25 ·
tef...I have heard that about them... My recollection is that they "look" like hiking boots with the same kind of rubber threads and uppers...the problem is , for my point of view ,is that the line costs between $80 and $180 dollars each. But they are nice boots.
 
#26 ·
With all due respect to people's opinions... here are mine, as derived from many thousands of footprints on sand, coral, marl and muck. I have to say that I very much disagree with most of what's been proposed here, FWIW.

1) Boots for fishing the tropics and boots for fishing the northeast are very different animals for a number of reasons - tropical boots protect bare wet feet underneath in blistering heat where temperate conditions protect dry feet from hypothermia. The aggregate composition is much different as are the requirements for side abrasion, traction, and even color. Because leading goretex wader makers only cater to coldwater anglers, shoe size can differ by as much as 2 foot sizes between the two as well as the above.

2) Sand expulsion is not a good excuse for sand invasion. Sand causes pressure against the wrong parts of the foot and requires frequent emptying beyond what the holes may allow, the same holes are letting sand in.

3) Anything with holes will invite small sharp objects like rocks, shells and coral which is painful and requires frequent removal because they will not flush out on their own when impaled into your foot.

4) barefoot wading is only suitable under the most accommodating conditions and those who do so fish less water as a result of their lack of foot protection. I for one never want to limit where or how I fish because of that and therefore rarely fish barefoot. I agree it's a luxury and pleasure, but fishing is not a leisure activity to me - it's serious business I work to excel in.

5) The use of thick loop material socks has been practiced for decades in the pacific northwest as a means of preventing pebble invasion in linear running streams and is a preferred method for tropical silt/sand exclusion provided the shoes are fit and designed well enough to work with such socks successfully, and have no holes.

6) zippers and velcro are useless in northern ocean sand which is a higher grain size than glacial silt or coral marl and composed of shell and granite fragments which lock up the teeth. Velcro holds for about 1/2 a Nauset wave.

7) Laces are effective but come undone and involve these devices called "eyes" and "speed hooks" which deteriorate like crazy in the caustic salt environment and require double knotting, gaitors, and duct tape to keep from coming loose in the northeastern surf. They are great elsewhere if you don't mind pampering the metal and tying them all the time.

I could go on and on but will conclude by saying the single most effective shoe that has given me years of blissful use has been a zipper-less, lace-less, hardy soled high-top stretch neoprene boot that can be pulled over my neoprene goretex wader feet like a big sock leaving no appreciable gap. They have velcro tightening straps, which I was going to replace with nylon snap buckles because they don't hold, but never bothered because i didn't get any sand, rocks, or anything and would leave them attached to the waders for weeks at a time like boot foot waders because they barely let any water in between and came off in one piece at the end of the day.

After years of service they are splitting apart from the sole (which is still in excellent shape) and unusable.

So if you're wondering where all this chest beating is coming from, it's because I believe I have seen northeast / SW wading shoe nirvana and lived it.

I vow that I regain that bliss or some reasonable facsimile thereof. Research is underway.

:D
 
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