Wading Boot Repair

[Steeldrifter 0]

Nice boots you'll be happy with them. If you decide you want to try some studs for more traction you can do what I did to mine. When my factory Korker studded soles finally wore down last year I was going to buy a new pair of studded soles, but the $60-$70 price tag for the soles alone was just too much for me to swallow. So I simply bought some Kold Kutter ice studs for tires and with a socket on the cordless drill I put about 15 or so into each sole. Works just as good if not even better than the factory studded soles for only $10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/331663128563?epid=1048183665&hash=item4d38a9b7f3:g:qBkAAOSwjVVVyUPr

[robow7 0]

Oh how I wish I could get 12 years out of a pair of wading boots.  If I can get 3 years of hard use, I'm happy.  Like you, I'm trying to get this current pair to last a few more weeks and then they can see the trash.  Shoe Goo is another thing I've repaired boots with to get a little more use but tough to beat JB Weld if it will hold to the materials.

[DFoster 0]

1 hour ago, robow7 said:

Oh how I wish I could get 12 years out of a pair of wading boots.  If I can get 3 years of hard use, I'm happy.  Like you, I'm trying to get this current pair to last a few more weeks and then they can see the trash.  Shoe Goo is another thing I've repaired boots with to get a little more use but tough to beat JB Weld if it will hold to the materials.

IMO JB is the way to go, it's not pretty but It didn't fail, the material the boot was constructed from literally rotted into 2 parts with the JB still holding each half. My previous 12 YO pair were simple Bass Pro White River - If I remember right I paid a little over a hundred bucks for them.  I fish mostly free stones for somewhere about maybe 12 hours per week.  I never did anything special with them other than letting them dry completely before putting them away in their tote.   As for "Hard use"?  12 hours may be a fair amount for a weekend hobby fly fisher but a guide would do that in a day and a half.   I also don't hike beyond a few hundred feet to my fishing spots but some people hike in much deeper.  If your consistently only getting 3 years out of a pair of moderate to high end boots you must be using them a lot and I'm jealous!

[DFoster 0]

3 hours ago, Steeldrifter said:

Nice boots you'll be happy with them. If you decide you want to try some studs for more traction you can do what I did to mine. When my factory Korker studded soles finally wore down last year I was going to buy a new pair of studded soles, but the $60-$70 price tag for the soles alone was just too much for me to swallow. So I simply bought some Kold Kutter ice studs for tires and with a socket on the cordless drill I put about 15 or so into each sole. Works just as good if not even better than the factory studded soles for only $10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/331663128563?epid=1048183665&hash=item4d38a9b7f3:g:qBkAAOSwjVVVyUPr

Ice Studs! That's a great tip that I would have never have thought of and a great way to reuse the sole backing when it gets tired.

[Sandan 0]

5 hours ago, DFoster said:

Thanks everyone, for just under $200 I came home with a pair of Korkers Wraptr boots, changeable soles but not boa laces.(cut for brevity)

  

Wear 'em in good health and good fishing

[Sandan 0]

5 hours ago, Steeldrifter said:

Nice boots you'll be happy with them. If you decide you want to try some studs for more traction you can do what I did to mine. When my factory Korker studded soles finally wore down last year I was going to buy a new pair of studded soles, but the $60-$70 price tag for the soles alone was just too much for me to swallow. So I simply bought some Kold Kutter ice studs for tires and with a socket on the cordless drill I put about 15 or so into each sole. Works just as good if not even better than the factory studded soles for only $10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/331663128563?epid=1048183665&hash=item4d38a9b7f3:g:qBkAAOSwjVVVyUPr

I have about 3 or 4 pounds of them. If you need any Steve....

[Lesg 0]

I used these ice studs in my snowmobile track. Night and day difference on ice. Can't comment on slippery rocks but I'm guessing similar results. Less than 1/4 of the price of carbide studs but am I thinking that the boots would wear out long before the studs.

Les

[WJG 0]

I stud my felt soles also.  I use stainless steel hex head screws from the hardware store.  Easier for me to find than Kold Kutters here. 

My Simms boots are 7 or 8 years old and had the soles re-glued to the uppers last winter using Marine Goop where they were starting to separate. If all goes right, they are never dry enough to attempt glue until January.  Replaced studs 3 times and bought one new pair of laces so far.  Still going strong but I am in need of a new pair.  They have out lasted the Korkers they replaced.  I never did use the other 2 pair of soles that influenced me in the purchase.   The boa lacing system seems like overkill to me.  Around here they are called fat man's laces (especially on work boots) and I'm still in denial.

[Kinni 0]

On 10/14/2021 at 8:39 AM, Steeldrifter said:

Nice boots you'll be happy with them. If you decide you want to try some studs for more traction you can do what I did to mine. When my factory Korker studded soles finally wore down last year I was going to buy a new pair of studded soles, but the $60-$70 price tag for the soles alone was just too much for me to swallow. So I simply bought some Kold Kutter ice studs for tires and with a socket on the cordless drill I put about 15 or so into each sole. Works just as good if not even better than the factory studded soles for only $10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/331663128563?epid=1048183665&hash=item4d38a9b7f3:g:qBkAAOSwjVVVyUPr

Curious about this. I've got Korkers as well (Raptor and Hatchbacks). The Raptors have been excellent (starting to fall apart now, but they've held up very well for over 5 years and have been super comfortable). I've got a couple "extra" rubber soles that I have absolutely no interest in wearing as-is based on what I've heard about really poor traction in the river. I've got the studded rubber soles that work extremely well so I've been thinking of adding studs (like the Kold Kutter) but wasn't sure if the plastic soles would hold well enough. When you added these did they only go into the sole or did you screw right through the soles and into the bottom of the boots?

[Steeldrifter 0]

I screwed them in with the sole still in the boot. Because the KK studs are only 3/8 and they are tapered at the tip, they will barely go into the bottom of the boot after the sole thickness, but not enough to make it where you can't take the sole itself out of the boot.

[Kinni 0]

Cool! Thanks Steve - I think I'll give this a try so I can at least utilize the rubber soles that aren't getting any use anyway.