Vibram soles
 

If anybody decides to convert from felt bottoms to the new anti-slip Vibram soles DONT do it. I bought some new Simms wading boots w/ Vibram soles for wetsuiting, and it was like taking a trip to the ice skating rink while walking the rocks. This is after putting 8 carbide studs and 6 Simms Hardbite Star cleats on each boot. Returned them for old style felt sole and problem solved. Just figured Id share to save someone the aggravation I went through returning them to the vendor after junking them up with hardware.

If they made them out of the yellow Vibram, they'd be good. The black stuff is slippery, wears fast, marks up everything and doesn't insulate worth a dang, on workboots. Probably the same on wader boots.

put some wearbars on those sims and you'll stick to rocks. on my 3rd year with a pair- best boots i've ever owned.

My experience is different.

Were you trying to walk on rockweed with low Simms studs? If so they are not long enough and that is your problem. Wearbars are the way to go for thick weed and they hold well in vibram but you will need about 15-20 in each boot. For jetties and wet black rock the Simms carbide studs in vibram work well (better than the wearbars which can skid on dry smooth rock) and holds up better than felt. I've not tried the star studs but they are very low profile and would be worthless in weed.
Although felt with studs is the best all around traction option, my experience was that I could not get a top quality Simms felt boot to last a full season. The felt just wears too fast if you walk long distances over rock. The vibram boots I've used have lasted several years and likely will go a season or two more.

Vibram without studs is a death trap.

I had the studs and star cleats attached. I had a pair (and just bought a new pair) of Simms Freestones that lasted 4 years,used exclusively to fish the rocks....comfortable The bottom felts are still in good shape but busted off 2 eyes so I cant tie them anymore, and the toes where pretty and missing material from climbing onto rocks. The felt seems to hold traction better where their might not be contact from the studs. Tell me more about these "wear bars", never heard of them.

Absolutely felt has better traction than rubber and if you got 4 years out of felt soles then that is the way to go. Felt is also more comfortable than rubber and probably less prone to transmit stud pressure which can be an issue with vibram particularly if you skimp on studs. I can't speak for how well screw in studs hold in felt, the felt boots I wore out came with built in studs (and they fell out).

This thread has a link to the wearbars site http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ing-boots.html

The wearbar studs are long and strong. You need a lot in each boot (think 15 -20) to distribute the pressure, which makes them more comfortable but also helps limit stud loss. It seems expensive paying for so many studs (they run about a buck each) but an extra $20 is money well spent to avoid a broken bone or head injury wading in rocks. Set up properly I don't think the felt will touch the rock very much with wearbars so sole composition becomes less critical.

Remember, long studs are great for thick weed, but if you wade on smooth slimy rocks they can skate off. Felt, smaller studs, or supposedly best of all aluminum cleats are probably better options for that type of rock.

Here is another option the DavidNH on SOL posted (former castingZ's on this site.....our loss). They look even better and he says he uses them in felt.

New Product Engineering

I dont like the factory studs on my LL Bean rubber boots at all they are to small for my liking. I dont wear felt soled boots, I have never tried them. I assume I can just screw these into the bottoms of the soles with washers of course. I only have one pair of boots,what advantages do felt soled boots give? Most of my fishing is canal and surf,no swimming yet so I need the best "universal" option.

The felt soles hold the stud better. What ive read about the Rubber sole is that the stew acts like a saw when you take a step
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Perfect example of how to screw up a digital rapport - on BOTH sides. His way in approaching to schill for Z and ours as a site to it.

If you see / talk to him, please pass along that there was never hard feelings. Just a trainwreck of opinion :rotf2::wall:

^^^^^^^
that's too bad....david's a good guy.

i have the vibram soles, on my headwaters. i like em. put 52 kold kutter studs in each

Will def say the felt head waters are the way to go. As alot of Guys have gone that route this Year based on my recommendation

First I went with them because there were the lightest boot (not sneaker style ) that fit my needs. I used modified grip studs and have never looked back. Easily 100 nights in the surf swimming and pounding boulders this season alone. The may work for some guys but where I fish they have been perfect. Have another pair that I will wear and compress felt and break in before adding studs to see if it makes them even tighter in the sole.

Conclusion. Most sole designs differ and th studs used should best match that type sole. Even the vibram soles on the headwaters should take different studs that the felts. Just my opinion.
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I put new wearbars in my simms rivershed boots with vibram soles. They hold much better thann the old wearbars. I think the news wearbar screws are thicker and hold and stay much better. I literally jog across the rocks and bubble weed. David(NH) is using a simms boot with felt soles and wearbars. Those are also holding tightly.
no idea what happened. With David and this site, but he is one of the best persons I know. He would give his last shirt to a stranger.

Him being accused of being a shill for ZB? I don't think so. He believes in the product and knows it like the back of his hand. He can take it apart and put it baack together bblindfolded
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I need to try these new ones... Has Wearbars improved the sketchiness of their site? I always thought it was strange that they used David's pic on their site.

Is that where you grabbed the new ones from?

And I agree, what can we do to try to bring DavidNH back? This site can do nothing but benefit from his input...
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We fished tonight. I told him about rhe posts. He was happy to hear it.
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