Will Patagonia Riverwalker "Sticky Rubber" wading boots stick when you need them?

The old ways tend to die hard in most fly fishermen, and while I’d love to hold myself aloft as a golden exception to the rule, I simply can’t.

Like most of you, I wore felt-soled wading boots for the majority of my fly fishing career (both with and without studs). I learned to live with the rapid wear, clogging, and irritating tendency to skate on smooth, angled rocks, justifying the hassles with the knowledge that felt soles were the only thing that worked.

Finally – tired of wearing out felt soles in less than a season (courtesy the sharp rocks lining the railroad beds running alongside the Upper Sac) – I switched to Weinbrenner’s studded rubber soles, which were OK.

Well, sometimes they were a lot less than OK, though they wore well and had (I’m guessing) 70%-80% of the grip of felt soles under good conditions.

I got by.

But with the Weinbrenners no longer available, and a new pair of wading boots needed right away to soothe my aching feet, I plumped for a pair of Patagonia Riverwalker “sticky rubber” soled wading boots.

The soles were rubber and they lacked studs and frankly – because I “knew” rubber was a poor substitute for felt – my expectations were pretty low. Like any resourceful outdoorsman, I figured a fix was no farther away than the nearest hardware store (sheet metal screws).

The good news? I haven’t been to the hardware store yet.

Sticky Rubber That Really Is

Dashing my expectations, Patagonia’s “sticky rubber” soles worked very, very well. In many environments, they actually exceeded the performance of studded felt and studded rubber soles.

At times, they were a better alternative to felt and studded felt for some applications – and perhaps a better choice overall (everybody’s mileage may vary on this one).

In other areas – especially situations involving slime layers on cannonball rocks – the sticky rubber soles faltered a bit, though in the midst of winter, there isn’t a lot of rock snot to go around.

Those who wade on snotty stuff all the time can bolster their grip with the addition of a few sheet metal screws, though I haven’t bothered.

You see, I’m liking life without studs. You can walk places you never could wearing studded soles (like inside a friend’s house or into the Burger Barn for a post-fishing snack).

When driving, I don’t suffer that Moment of Abject Terror when the studs just won’t let go of the gas pedal. In other words, it’s almost as if you can ambulate just like a normal human being (albeit one wearing dorky rubber pants). “Which is great and all” you say “But how do they work in the water?”

The Undergrounders ask, we answer:

Dry Streamside Rocks

Smooth, dry, angled rocks were always something of a problem area for felt and studded soles. More often than I care to remember, I’d apply a little angular pressure, and find myself “skating” fast down a rock surface. It’s an unpleasant sensation, and a dangerous one too.

After all, fall in three feet of water and you’re going to get wet. Fall in three inches, and you could get hurt. On dry rocks, the sticky rubber soles grab like they’re glued. A huge win over felt and studded boots.

Wet/Shallow Rocks

Wet streamside rocks – whether from rain or spray – are another big wading hazard, yet the sticky rubber sole handled them nicely (much to my surprise). They’re not magic, but they are effective – and very secure. Shallow or exposed wet rocks probably account for more of my “awkward wading moments” than any other situation, yet I experienced none of them with the Riverwalker (that’s not to say you won’t).

Surprisingly, it’s another win for sticky rubber – especially if you’re a small-stream fisherman.

Cobbled River (The Usual)

This is where the rubber (ahem) really meets the streambed. On last Saturday’s Upper Sacramento River trip, I was surprised to find myself pushing my way up a waist-deep run without a hint of slippage on the rocks.

I have fished this stretch a lot over the years, and my studded-rubber Weinbrenners always came across a little dicey. By contrast, the sticky rubber soles treated the river bottom like it was dry sidewalk – the only hint of slippage came when trying to clamber over a pair of dark-colored boulders, which are warmer, and support more algae.

How will I fare on this same stretch later in the summer – when algae grows thick and the rocks aren’t being polished by high flows?

Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure, though I suspect I’ll be OK.

On the Slippery Green Stuff

It’s when you’re wading over green-painted “snot rocks” that the sticky rubber fails a bit (which is to be expected). Felt soles work by cutting through the algae and clinging to the rock; studded soles take a similar course.

The “Star Tread” tread pattern on the sticky rubber soles will cut through a little slime, but obviously, it’s not capable of penetrating through algae to rock like carbide-tipped studs.

Naturally, you can add studs (in the form of metal screws), though congratulations – you’ve just negated a lot of the positives I mentioned above.

While the Riverwalkers performed nicely at Ney Springs and also near the infamous Dunsmuir “Sewer Ponds” stretch, I must reserve judgement until after a little more algae’s grown. Given the performance so far, I’m ready to be pleasantly surprised.

The Riverwalker has passed the test on those smooth-as-glass exposed bedrock environments, where studs act more like ice skates than safety devices. In those situations, studs were always more hindrance than help.

The Underground’s Take

Finally, fly fishermen have an alternative to felt or studded boots that actually outperforms the traditional options in several environments, though I won’t pretend Patagonia’s Riverwalker “grips like felt” in every situation.

The sticky rubber Riverwalker just might be the perfect wading boot for people who hike to fish small streams, where its dry-land performance and effectiveness on wet-but-clean rocks would truly shine.

In fact, add the sole’s performance to the boot’s surprisingly light weight (and pleasing flexibility), and you’ve got the (so far) the perfect blueliner’s boot.

It’s less surefooted in snotty, algae-rich areas, and I haven’t yet tested it in the McCloud or Pit Rivers. Still, those who aren’t sure will be comforted know you can add studs if you think they’re necessary, though I suggest testing them stud-free. You might find the benefits of a rubber sole outweigh the costs.

Bonus Goodies

I already mentioned the flexible, featherweight nature of the Riverwalker, but I haven’t mentioned the sheer joy I experience putting the silly things on. Stuffing my feet in my Weinbrenners was a chainsaw-death-match-ish wrestling match, yet my feet just slide into the Riverwalker.

I demonstrated the easy-on aspect to Wayne Eng, whose eyes widened momentarily (when you struggle with wading boots as often as guides do, boots that slip on like loafers grab your attention).

Frankly, the gestalt of the Riverwalker is astonishing: Patagonia’s done a superb job of crafting a wading boot that’s light, comfortable, easy to hike in, and surprisingly protective (even in tough freestone environments).

Still, the rubber sole remains the focus of this review, and while I’m not 100% clear that rubber soles alone will prevent the transmission of invasives from one river to another (there are a lot of nooks and crannies in a wading boot), I do believe that buying fewer wading boots is better than buying more, and – on the Upper Sacramento’s hard-edge railroad tracks – felt soles simply cost more per fishing trip.

In fact, I liked Patagonia’s rubber soles so much I contacted Simms; a pair of wading boots with their much-hyped Vibram rubber sole are on the way for testing (Disclosure: I paid for the Patagonia boots), and we’ll see how the two brands compare.

Still, rather than turn this into a brand war, I’ll suggest the following: It’s good that fly fishermen finally have a durable, high-performance, longer-lasting option to felt and studded felt soles – especially those who hike a lot and fish small streams, where the Patagonia Rivewalker is simply superb.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.