Sticky sole river shoes

-- Last Updated: May-07-13 10:25 AM EST --

Wha Ho, Pilgrims;

After a'slippin' an' a'slidin' (looked like a chubby ballardeena in a drysuit doin' a peerooett) on wet an' slimy river rocks on de upper Delaware dis past weekend an' landin' on me butt more than a few times (6.3 on de Richter Scale or 6.2 on de more current Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS) fer ye new skool seezmooloogists) ah's be a'lookin' fer a boot wit better wet tractoon than me ol' NRS Woykboots. Any idees out thaar in P-Net land? Thanky kindly.

FE

If you can find them…
Chota discontinued their Kick Boat Booties but there are still some in mixed sizes kicking around outfitters for various prices (got mine for $25!).



http://compare.ebay.com/like/350274916531?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar



They are made to wear over waders for fly fishing and have the synthetic felt built into the soles which I find gives good traction on wet rocks. The uppers are a perforated neoprene with a mesh that keeps gravel and sand out but allows you to drain the inevitable water in the boots by scrunching your toes once you get settled. On cooler days I wear regular neoprene socks inside for warmth. On warm days they are much cooler than the Deep See dive booties I used to wear all the time. They dry a lot faster than regular neoprene too.



And they look so “commando”…

Astral Brewer
New shipments haven’t come in yet so size range might be limited, I know I’ve only got a couple pairs left, but with the 5-10 (Climbing Shoe Mfg.) made soles I can just about run on slime covered surfaces and not be on my keester.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

Best bet
would be either strap on chains or metal studded wading boots preferably with felt soles.Felt/studa will wear some and eventually need to be resoled but rubber bottom boots offer zero grip on any slippery surface so it’s well worth it.

Running on slime covered surfaces?
What are you doing in Washington, D.C., Marshall?



Seriously, a climbing sole is a very good idea. In the past, I have looked at regular climbing shoes as paddling shoes but was always put off by the price and dubious portageability.

Before you buy anything with felt soles
I’d suggest checking out area regulations. They’ve been banned on some rivers in an effort to slow the spread of little nasties like Didymo.

What did you say?
“What did you say, Uncle Remus?”



“I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! I-doom-er-ker-kum mer-ker!”



“What is that?”



“Dat’s Tarrypin talk, dat is. Bless yo’ soul, honey,” continued the old man, brightening up, “w’en you git ole ez me–w’en you see w’at I sees, en year w’at I years–de creeturs dat you can’t talk wid’ll be mighty skase–dey will dat. W’y, der’s er old gray rat w’at uses ‘bout yer, en time atter time he comes out w’en you all done gone ter bed en sets up dar in de cornder en dozes, en me en him talks by de ‘our; en w’at dat old rat dunno ain’t down in de spellin’ book. Des now, w’en you run in and broke me up, I wuz fetchin’ into my mine w’at Brer Tarrypin say ter Brer Fox w’en he turn 'im loose in de branch.”



“What did he say, Uncle Remus?”



“Dat w’at he said–I-doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Tarrypin wuz at de bottom er de pon’, en he talk back, he did, in bubbles-- I- doom-er-ker-kum-mer-ker! Brer Fox, he ain’t sayin’ nuthin’, but Brer Bull-Frog, settin’ on de bank, he hear Brer Tarrypin, he did, en he holler back…”

I’ve had real good luck with Vibram sole
shoes like the Merrell Maipo. Of course they have been discontinued but they were sold as canyoneering shoes, so the sole was a little sticky.



Everything I like always seems to get discontinued :frowning:

Love my Astral Brewers
I will second the recommendation for the Astral Brewer. I recently got a pair and they perform as claimed. Good traction and quick drying, lightweight. I am very happy with mine.