Wondering if anyone has any experience using wading boots/shoes like what you'd use with stocking foot waders for wet foot portaging/BWCA tripping? Wondering (and hoping) I could find something that works for both.

I only have felt bottomed boots and they are quite slippery in mud, then hold that mud for a good time. I just quit trying the wadding boots and use my regular leather boots, much more comfortable and gripy even after a soaking.

butthead

I have used wading boots with metal nuts in the felt for added traction. They are fantastic on slippery rocks. When I paddle rivers I often find myself in the water lining the canoe through obstacles or pulling it through shallow water. Wading boots are great for this. Just keep in mind the boots are sized to have the thick neoprene in them, so if you aren't wearing something on your feet to compensate for that, they don't fit well and can cause blisters etc...

butthead: "I only have felt bottomed boots and they are quite slippery in mud, then hold that mud for a good time. I just quit trying the wadding boots and use my regular leather boots, much more comfortable and gripy even after a soaking.


butthead"

Wasn't thinking felt-bottoms would be the way to go, but I suppose you just confirmed it. :) I was thinking more of something like these Chota Shoes.

Most of my flyfishing in streams and rivers occurred in the Nicolet State Forest where most streams are rocks and pebble. There the felt worked great! But muddy trails rare to short and avoidable.

butthead

Yep, been using them for 20 years. Cabelas brand that have the rubber sole.
Actually, that's where Chota got their start as a wader/fly fishing footwear company. They repurposed (put a rubber sole on some boot) and remarketed them as paddling portage boots. Way over priced IMO.

Yep get a pair from whomever and enjoy.
CB

keth0601: "Wondering if anyone has any experience using wading boots/shoes like what you'd use with stocking foot waders for wet foot portaging/BWCA tripping? Wondering (and hoping) I could find something that works for both."

I think some wading boots are better than others when it comes to portaging. I've had a pair of Cabela's wading boots which have worked great. They don't make the same ones any longer - I think the ones that replaced mine were the Cabela's "Gold Medal Waders" or something like that. With Cabelas-branded items going away at a rapid pace, I'm not sure they even have those...but in general, your idea should work. (i replaced insoles on mine)

My son bought a pair of Orvis wading boots to use when tripping. They worked really well for him, and dried much quicker than my hiking boots.

I have some Simms wading boots that I love. They are called vaper trail and that exact model is not available. They have a very flexible bottom with a lug sole. They are quite comfy that very grippy. I had problems before getting them.

I have convinced a couple other guys to try them, and they were glad they did. There is no way I would go back to my past footwear.

I’ve used Chota Quetico trekkers for a long time and like them. Don’t like the new boot model as much. It has a thicker sole. But it is probably still good. Definitely like a boot that I can walk in and out of the water while wearing.

Is a wading boot the same as a Muck Boot? We were up in the gear store in Grand Marais talking about an early May trip and the person recommended Muck Boots. We have never used them but are considering them for our next trip.

BryanE: "Is a wading boot the same as a Muck Boot? We were up in the gear store in Grand Marais talking about an early May trip and the person recommended Muck Boots. We have never used them but are considering them for our next trip. "

No, they aren't. MuckBoot is a brand. What they were referring to is one of their tall, insulated, waterproof boots, not a wading boot.

I bought a pair of the Superlite Portage Hikers last year before my September BW trip. It looks like they have changed the sole pattern since then.

I wear a pair of cushy waterproof socks with them for wet foot entry to my carbon canoe. There is a lot of screen to drain the water real fast. Just sit down on the tractor seat and hang your foot outside the gunwales for a few seconds to drain the water out.

The boots were comfortable on the portages and the waterproof socks kept my feet warm even when I stepped in over the top of the tall socks.

Larry S