An Underground Gear Review Update: Rubber Sole
By Tom Chandler on Sep 27, 2007 in Review, gear
Not quite a year ago, I posted a gear review about my studded-rubber soled wading boots.
To recap, I went to studded rubber soles because hiking along the railroad tracks quickly wore the felt off my studded felt boots, leaving behind protruding carbide studs that skated dangerously on smooth rocks.
Life is dangerous enough without adding hazards along the river, so I tried the studded rubber Weinbrenner boots.
More than a year into their working lives, I’m happy to report they’re doing well, though the rubber sole is wearing towards the stitching at the edge of the sole.
Still, they’ve worked well under a wide variety of conditions (including freestone rivers, small streams, and while mostly sober), so I’m happy.
The footing isn’t quite a secure as it is with studded felts, but it’s probably in the 80%-90% range (it seemed to get a little better as the soles aged).
The good news? Grip on dry, riverside rocks is better than to studded felt, so when I’m rock-hopping on dry land, they’re great.
They’re also a bit stiffer laterally, so my feet are less likely to get torqued and twisted between rocks.
Worst case scenario for studded rubber? Rounded, heavily slimed rock beds. Best? Fishing small streams, where you’re hiking on dry land more than you’re in the water.
On the whole, I’d say any non-trustfunder on all but the most difficult rivers might want to give these things a try, if only in the interests of financial survival.
Of course, if you’re not fishing a lot — or aren’t wearing out your felt soles quickly –then perhaps change is overrated.
Eternity’s Boot
Sadly, when I went to Weinbrenner’s site to see about resoling these babies (they don’t need it yet), I discovered the studded rubber boot wasn’t listed, and neither was the re-soling service.
An e-mail to Weinbrenner’s wading boot e-mail address was bounced back by the server, and my e-mail to the company’s standard email address hasn’t been answered.
Bad omens, and it’s likely that Weinbrenner’s out of the studded rubber sole business. No worries — others sell studded rubber, and in a pinch, you can simply buy the plain rubber soles, screw in sheet metal screws, and viola — you’re there.
At least so I’m told.
See you on the river, Tom Chandler.
Technorati Tags: fly fishing, wading boots, fishing, gear review
Heddon 17 | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
I’ve used the Korkers Wetlands Convertible Wading Shoe for a couple years now and they’re great for fishing the Upper Sac since for walking the tracks to the next spot all you have to do is replace the studded felt soles with the rubber hiking sole and away you go. Changing soles takes less than a minute.
The grip on the studded felts is good enough for the Upper Sac and McCloud. They do have a studded aquastealth sole but they’re hard to find.
For heavy duty extreme wading that one encounter on rivers like the Pit and Klamath, I use the Simms Freestone Wading shoe with studded felt soles. Much better grip, etc.
Tom Chandler | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
I have a pair of the Korker Wetlands shoes, but found the lack of ankle support a little daunting (not that my ankles are anything but manly brutes, mind you).
I think their newer models resolve that issue some, though their studded rubber sole is a bit aggressive for everyday use.
With Weinbrenner possibly giving up the studded rubber wading boot ghost, guess I’ll be in the market for a new boot manufacturer sometime next year…
Sully | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
Studded rubber soles are extremely easy to hose off and DRY prior to your next outing-
a worthwhile consideration in these times of whirling disease and didymo.
fishskicanoe | Oct 4, 2007 | Reply
Tom-
I live about 3 blocks from the Weinbrenner factory. According to Dick Martin in Customer Relations, as long as they are less than 10 years old they’ll redo them for $35 bucks.Give him a call at 715-536-5521 if you have any questions. They are a discontinued stle, BTW.
fishskicanoe
Tom Chandler | Oct 4, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for the update. Hopefully they’ll get their e-mail problems ironed out. Shame they discontinued the rubber soles — I like ‘em.