Felt or lug wading boots?

  • Art Green
    Brookfield,WI
    Posts: 733
    April 5, 2012 at 12:10 pm #1238878

    Picked up some waders over the winter and need some boots. What is the prefered sole felt or lugs? Had a set of boot foot with felt when I was younger and used to trout fish. Not sure if this is still the way I want to go.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 60016
    April 5, 2012 at 12:23 pm #1055895

    Hear rumor that felt will need to pass an ais inspection.

    I kid you not.

    dr._flathead
    Posts: 220
    April 5, 2012 at 12:25 pm #1055898

    I’ve owned both….and without question felt is the way to go!

    mwal
    Rosemount,MN
    Posts: 1054
    April 5, 2012 at 1:09 pm #1055920

    You should buy rubber with carbide studs. Alaska and many western State have already banned felt and I am sure MN and WI will also due to felt transporting AIS. They are also banned in Europe/ Iceland for that reason. When at Cabelas they said they had heard WI was probably going to ban very soon so my friend bought rubber with studs.

    Mwal

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5779
    April 5, 2012 at 1:13 pm #1055923

    True. And this year several states on the East Coast have banned felt as well. Simms has a rubber sole that is supposed to be **better** but nobody is claiming felt sole performance with a rubber sole yet.

    Rootski

    Joel Ballweg
    Sauk City, Wisconsin
    Posts: 3294
    April 5, 2012 at 1:29 pm #1055928

    Quote:

    I’ve owned both….and without question felt is the way to go!

    X2

    If your walking on slippery, moss covered rocks, you’ll definitely want the felt. Non-felt soles are hard to even stay upright on while walking across slippery rocks.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 19094
    April 5, 2012 at 3:15 pm #1055967

    Felt is great on big rocks. For EVERYTHING ELSE. LUG.

    TheFamousGrouse
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 12343
    April 6, 2012 at 2:01 pm #1056187

    Felt is on its way out and will probably be banned within a few years in MN and WI. As others have mentioned, several states have already banned it for fishing.

    I’ve had Aquastealth rubber soles with ceramic studs on a pair of Simms wading boots for years. They are almost as good as felt with studs, but the have the added advantage of not collecting snow the way felt soles do when used for winter fishing.

    Whatever you get, studs are a worthwhile addition. If the boots don’t come with them, just add your own using hex-head sheet metal screws. I found some stainless steel ones somewhere, which are fantastic and never wear out.

    Grouse

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 60016
    April 6, 2012 at 4:29 pm #1056239

    Is a stud permit required…yet?

    icenutz
    Aniwa, WI
    Posts: 2548
    April 16, 2012 at 6:38 pm #1059451

    Quote:

    Is a stud permit required…yet?

    Only for you Brian!!!

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 60016
    April 16, 2012 at 6:57 pm #1059462

    Funny…that’s exactly what my FW said…40 years ago.

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