Orvis Wading Boots

[jeffsod]

If you are wet wading a pair of neoprene booties are a great way to go. Patagonia makes an expensive pair of boots for wet wading called the Marlwalkers but they recommend socks while wearing them. Also, I think Reddington makes a pair of hi and low cut wading shows. I surf a lot in the cold water and always wear polypro socks under my booties because it makes them ten times easier to remove especially where we don't use the type with the side zippers like divers do.

If you are planning on getting waders with stocking feet look at Orvis' pack and travel wading shoes around 45.00. I have a pair and love them. I would not recommend wearing these barefoot. One caveat is I pulled the speed lace rings out of the canvas after a year of use but I was ablet to just string the lace through the hole they left behind and are still using them 7 years later. These boots don't offer the support of the above pictured shoe but are light and work well for me for long walks in soft sand with stocking foot waders.

If you hike on sand long distances the stocking foot waders with a dive bootie or the pack and travel wading boots are much easier to trek in. Try hiking 5 miles in the capes soft sand in waders with those standard wader clunkie boots attached. Uh, no thanks.

Last season I got the Orvis Hiking Breathables as a gift and they have the built in lace up boots but I can't say I like them as much as the previously mentioned setup. Better by far than regular boots since they lace up and give fairly good support but still kind of clunkie for long walks in sugary sand.