# cleats or felt?



## feelikefishin (Jun 21, 2006)

Im buying new waders for the cold months and was wondering which is better, felt or studded cleats.


----------



## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

I was told by quite a few that the felt one's are like a snow magnet. Before you know it you'll have on 4 inches of snow attached to the bottom of your foot.


----------



## Bugger (Apr 23, 2008)

If you fish all winter as I do, you will at times have to walk through the snow to get to the river. Felt and the snow dose not work.The snow sticks to the felt and its next to impossible to get off. Choda has studs with a man made felt like bottom. The synthetic felt is ok in the snow. The studs are removable if the stream you are fishing has any kind of stud restrictions. Very comfortable and light wieght. Good for walking if you move around alot to find those sometimes elusive steelhead.
Good luck. Hope this helps.


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Buy a pair of stockingfoot waders and a pair of Korker boots with interchangable soles. Now you have the outfit to match any condition.


----------



## fishinbula (Aug 30, 2007)

Cabelas sells a great boot that is reasonable and its a combination. I know a few of the members here wear them. They are the ultra light wading boot by Cabelas. Can't go wrong especially if you walk alot on the rivers.


----------



## yetihw (Mar 3, 2008)

I can't answer from experience but I have asked many this question and all suggest studs.


----------



## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

I have busted my ass with both I think cleats are better ,,,felt is good if you don't walk in a bunch of mud


----------



## kruggy1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I have both and I prefer cleated in winter,and felt/studded in spring and summer,


----------



## symba (May 23, 2008)

Shortdrift said:


> Buy a pair of stockingfoot waders and a pair of Korker boots with interchangable soles. Now you have the outfit to match any condition.


Agree 100%. I have had my Korkers for about a year and like the fact that they come with both felt and cleat soles- great for different times of the year and different river substrates. They also offer optional($) studded insoles.


----------



## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I hear that felt and snow equals a real bad bad time. mud too. its like walking on ice. felt is better for the summer and the algae covered rocks instead. I have just regular lug bottom boots and never had a problem. I am getting korkers next.


----------



## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> Buy a pair of stockingfoot waders and a pair of Korker boots with interchangable soles. Now you have the outfit to match any condition.


Yep! I have Korkers with felt soles, studded felt soles, rubber lug soles & studded rubber. I still may pick up Aquastealth soles (studded, if available). If there is snow, I'll wear the studded rubber.
These are GREAT boots & as Shortdrift stated, you have all you need.
Mike


----------



## jojopro (Oct 9, 2007)

I wear a pair of Korkers Wetlands boots. They came with felt soles and lug soles. I always wear the felt and they offer great traction, but I haven't worn them in snow before, (sounds like I better hurry up and get some of the cleated soles). The only time that the felt soles are a problem to me is when I'm walking on shore on slick mud. I think the hard rubber lug soles they came with suck! Absolute worst in-water traction of any boot I've ever worn in a river! When wading over flat rock bottom with the Korkers lug soles you'd have better traction walking on ice in dress shoes. For the most part I realy like the Korkers but I have had the soles pop out on me at the worst of times, climbing up or down very steep inclines.

I was told that the same ice-off products you use on your rod eyelets can be used on felt to keep snow from sticking...anybody try this? 

John


----------



## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

jojopro said:


> I wear a pair of Korkers Wetlands boots. They came with felt soles and lug soles. I always wear the felt and they offer great traction, but I haven't worn them in snow before, (sounds like I better hurry up and get some of the cleated soles). The only time that the felt soles are a problem to me is when I'm walking on shore on slick mud. I think the hard rubber lug soles they came with suck! Absolute worst in-water traction of any boot I've ever worn in a river! When wading over flat rock bottom with the Korkers lug soles you'd have better traction walking on ice in dress shoes. For the most part I realy like the Korkers but I have had the soles pop out on me at the worst of times, climbing up or down very steep inclines.
> 
> I was told that the same ice-off products you use on your rod eyelets can be used on felt to keep snow from sticking...anybody try this?
> 
> John


John,
I don't know about the ice-off products, but I DO have 2 comments....
1) The lug soles are meant for hiking, not wading.
2) I have a number of friends who wear Korkers, as I do, & none of us have had a sole pop out. Here are a couple tips...
-- Before inserting a sole, rinse sand & small gravel out of the toe slot area.
-- Make SURE to firmly press that sole in all along the sides. The folks I've 
talked to who have had them pop out most frequently did NOT press 
the sole in along the side...they just slid the toe in & strapped the back.
I have done a lot of hiking & wading in mine & have never had an issue.

I wear the Korkers Outfitter Konvertible & love them. 
Mike


----------



## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

I will add one comment to Mikes, Korkers have redesigned there system for the foot beds and have eliminated any issues with soles poping out. Some of the older models had this proplem but it has been addressed and the new system is far superior. 
To add to the felt/stud/rubber issue. New Zealand and Austrailia have already banned felt soles. Utah will next year and it wont be long before felt becomes banned elsewhere. The reason is the transportatoin of invasive species such as the New Zealand Mud Snail. You will being seeing alot more rubber or the aquastealth with studs on the market over the next couple of years. Something to keep in mind as you get ready to invest in a good pair of boots. Rumor has it PA is not to far off from the ban as well. S


----------



## jojopro (Oct 9, 2007)

ohiotuber said:


> John,
> I don't know about the ice-off products, but I DO have 2 comments....
> *1) The lug soles are meant for hiking, not wading.*
> 2) I have a number of friends who wear Korkers, as I do, & none of us have had a sole pop out. Here are a couple tips...
> ...


Ha Ha! I wish I had realized that about the lug soles before slipping and sliding all over the place while trying to wade in them.  When I purchased mine I don't believe that there was any kind of literature to distinguish that the lugs were for land use only

My Korkers Wetlands are an older discontinued model, and as Sevenx mentioned Korkers has made a lot of changes to improve the staying power of it's soles. I just checked out the Korkers website and saw that new Korkers soles have ridges in the toe area (which mine don't have) that slide in and lock better into place, the soles have a more parabolic shape than mine, and they seem to fit in much tighter at the sides and you have to use a specil 'key' to lock them into place. I had always made sure that my soles were locked as tightly into place as possible which is not as tight as the new soles appear to fit. As I mentioned, I only had the soles pop under very extreme climbing conditions. I am overall satisfied with the Korkers boots that I have, and in seeing their new models I will absolutely purchase their brand again.

John


----------



## OhioFlyer (Mar 14, 2008)

I have felts with 1/4" sheetmetal screws. One fixed sole with removable studs. Also helps when studs wear off. Cheap and dual purposed. Can't beat it.


----------



## MuskieMan35 (Mar 5, 2008)

I'm sooo good I walk ON the water.


----------



## OhioFlyer (Mar 14, 2008)

Please take no offense to MuskMan35. He is "special". We will be hitting the Ash this weekend and he is looking forward to getting schooled. I will report back with the outome.


----------



## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I might end up being the luckiest guy alive or the most po'd guy! I just found a pair of size 12 korkers on sierra trading post for 58 bux plus 10 shipping. well I search online for a coupon code and ended up getting them for 47 bucks with shipping for some 100 dollar boots! but like all things too good to be true. when I got my receipt it said sold out in the total price section. now I search their site and theres no more size 12. I hope I got the last pair! I wrote them and they said if it let me order they should have it in the warehouse but I got to wait for the shipping confirmation to find out if they are in stock or not! for sure! guess I got to hope and pray they have um otherwise I am paying 80 bux for the same exact boot and I really don't got the extra 40 to spend....


----------



## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

Felt does the job, if you get cleats do not get the rubber or plastic ones. They slide like no tommorow.


----------



## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

ok thanks. for the winter I was just gonna sue the lug sole like i have had before. i hear felts bad for winter


----------



## vkutsch (Oct 28, 2005)

I have felt and I busted my [email protected]@ on friday- and there wasn't even snow on the ground yet!


----------



## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

i think felt performs well in the stream but get out onto a slippery rock and your going swimming happened to me yesterday. it sucked.


----------



## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

It sounds like a rubber sole with steel cleats/ screws is the best for all surfaces.(especially if felt's days are limited)
Anyone have them, and whats been your experience with different surfaces?


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I use the studded rubber sole on my Korkers all the time. The only drawback is when wading a quiet hard bottom pool as the noise from the studs can be a hinderence.

I had a chance to look at the new revised Korker boots yesterday. Though I have not had a problem with my older style, the new design looks great.


----------



## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> I use the studded rubber sole on my Korkers all the time. The only drawback is when wading a quiet hard bottom pool as the noise from the studs can be a hinderence.


Yeah, but if wading upstream, the noise could be a non factor due to current....much like talking or calling to someone "up-wind".
Mike


----------



## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

Just a story about spooking steelhead....

Was fishing the chagrin last friday a guy was fishing with us who brought his dog. Everytime we would hook a fish the dog would swim right out into the pool. Continued to catch 6 more fish out of the hole each time the dog would bark chase the fish in the water. These fish are alot less spooky than your average bass in my opinion. i don't think whispering is necessary. As the season progresses i am sure fish that have been caught will wise up some but right now they aren't that weary.


----------

