The Latest in Wading Boots

The ongoing changes in fly tackle are sometimes easily explained. A new technology-graphite, or waterproof/breathable fabrics-presents possibilities that are then busily exploited for several seasons. But other flurries of change are less scrutable, which is the case with wading boots over the past few years. After chugging along at a normal pace for some time, suddenly everybody's got new shoes on the market and more in the pipeline. It would be interesting to know why, but I've been too busy just trying to stay current with what's come down the pike recently.

A few general trends in the market are worth noting. Those big-profile, blocky wading boots upholstered like a love seat that were once widely available seem largely to have disappeared in favor of minimally padded, or unpadded, designs. More boots now have uppers that conform more closely to foot and ankle. Materials, including cushioning when it's used, tend to be non-absorbent; wet boots weigh less and dry more quickly. And looking over my past couple of boot reviews, it seems that the average, overall boot weight in general is dropping slightly. Lighter and more streamlined, many of the boots on the market now are simply more pleasant to wade in than were older models. Finally, with improved anti-stiffening, anti-cracking treatments, natural leather-a material I've always favored for comfort and durability-is now more widely used in boots.

Some manufacturers have redesigned and improved existing models in the past few years-L.L. Bean's River Treads II, Orvis Henry's Fork II, Chota's STL Plus, among others-and these updated products are certainly worth considering. But already squeezed for space with just the new stuff, I've omitted them. Weights and prices given below are for size 11 boots with felt soles. Expect to pay about $20 to $30 more for studded felt (SF); $15 to $30 more for AquaStealth (AS) or sticky-rubber (SR) soles.
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