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Wading boots or wading shoes for fly fishing are extremely important. A good quality wading boot or shoe provides traction in slippery, fast moving rivers - leading to more enjoyable and safe wading. An angler wading in a river using just sandals or old, smelly sneakers will find themselves slipping around, constantly in danger of falling and perhaps in the doctors office taping up a twisted ankle. Purpose of a Wading ShoeThe purpose of a wading shoe or wading boot is quite simple - to keep you comfortably standing and walking around in a river or on the slippery rocks that border it. So, what is the difference between a wading boot or wading shoe designed for fly fishing and a standard hiking boot or sneaker? Wading boots, even the cheapest of them, all have felt soles. These felt soles allows the boots to grip wet, slippery rocks extremely well. The felt bends to the rocks contour, providing wonderful traction. The felt, since it is not hard rubber like a hiking boot, also does slip nearly as easily on wet surfaces. The felt on wading boots and wading shoes wears down very quickly when walking on on trails and pavement. While the felt can be easily replaced, it is still a hassle. As a result, don't plan on hiking or walking long distances in wading boots. For anglers who will be fishing in very rocky rivers with quick currents, even felt soled shoes may not be enough to provide rock-solid footing. When fly fishing these types of rivers, river talons or cleats are highly recommended. River talons and cleats fit around a standard wading shoe and have small, metal spikes on the bottom. These spikes, in combination with the metal it is attached too, provide the ultimate in footing. River talons are highly recommended for anyone who will be wade fishing rivers that are extremely rocky, deep and have fast currents (in other words, where slipping in the water could prove to be damaging to your health). Shopping Considerations for Wading Boots & ShoesAlways make sure that the wading boot provides solid ankle support - similar to good hiking boots. Rivers are generally rocky and the rocks are frequently loose. By having a wading boot that gives solid ankle support, not only will you get better traction and balance when wading, you won't have to worry about twisting an ankle out in the middle of a river. Also note, wading shoes are also sized a bit differently than normal hiking shoes. Generally, they are sized 1 size up from a standard hiking boot. This sizing difference is done in order to make room for the wader that the wading boot fits over. In some cases, wading boots are sized the same as shoes. When this occurs, the wading boot is always marked as such. Additionally, most wading boots have, either in the catalog where you order them from or on the box you buy them in, have a recommendation on getting the proper size. So, read the description carefully! Durability is also important with wading boots. Cheap wading boots are made out of fabric that soon begins to break down. The constant immersion in water, followed by being stored away for long periods of time, will quickly break down poor quality wading boots. The felt on these types of inexpensive wading boots also is suspect. While it will work well enough the first couple of times out, soon the felt will begin to work it's way from the boot, requiring you to re-glue them on, which is a pain. Quick Summary of Wading Boots & Shoes CriteriaIn short, when shopping around for wading boots or shoes, make sure that whatever you end up getting have felt soles, rock solid ankle support, are made of quality materials that won't break down and that are comfortable. Hopefully, this article gave you some idea of what to look for in a wading boot. To get more specific product information about wading boots, just browse to any of the links below.
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