Thread: Felt wader soles?????????

Hey guys,

Starting this fishing season felt soles are a no no on fishing waders her in MO. You can slather your current felt soles with contact cement to seal them or you can replace the felt soles.

I have a pair of Simms wading boots that the felt is about half wore out on. I am playing with the idea of just replacing the soles with some kind of grippy rubber. A friend of mine is coating his with anti skid liquid bedliner stuff. The MDC is recomending a contact cement treatment. If I am going to lose my felt I would like some kind of cleat or spike to be able to put in the sole to help with traction on algae slime.

I paid well over $200 for these boots and they are one of the few wading boots that actually feel good on my extra wide feet. I do not want to replace them.

My current thinking is to cut the felt soles off and replace them with some kind of rubber that I can install studs in and use the screw in track/golf cleats. Sealing the felt is an option but from what I hear if an agent catches you with worn coating and you have felt showing through they will ticket you. A guy spends three days on the water and you bound to have some felt wear through no matter how well you seal them.

I am sure that some of you have already had to find solutions for this anti felt didymo movement that is moving across the country. Have any of you found a successful way to seal or replace felt soles on your favorite pair of wading boots?

Thanks in advance

Ray, what is the purpose for the new rule?

Apparently felt acts as a breading ground for this stuff
Didymo Fact Sheet

And the MDC is trying to prevent the spread of it. I understand wanting to stop the rock snot but its puts guys like me who pay for GOOD equipment in a pickle. IF they were cheapy $50 boots I would just look at it as an excuse to buy new boots. BUT I really like my Simms G3 boots.

So what can replace the felt? Just do without.

I need some kind of sole on my wading boots. There is a Craftwell and Dunnright boot repair shop in town. I may see if they have anything going to replace felt soles with cleated/spiked rubber soles.

I am hoping someone on here has been there-done that and has a good solution.

Ray

Maybe rough side leather to grip. That scotch brite stuff?

I always felt safer with studded wader soles.

First I've heard of this, but I do all my fishing in MI. I can tell you this much, I HATE rubber sole waders. Nothing worse then slipping and sliding all over a fast moving river in waist deep water.

If I HAD to replace the felt I would probably try a very soft foam rubber, like heavy duty weatherstrip. I would probably glue the strips with rubber cement in some random pattern and then glue to the boot, then scuff up with sandpaper. Just thinking out loud though. Curious to know what you try, and how it works for you though.

have used a rubberback doormat that is made to look like faux grass.

I would think anything that has any sort of texture to it like (Scotch brite) is going to present the same hazard of spreading didymo. I think golf spikes is a good bet. Maybe you could cut up and old tire tread and put some threaded inserts in those? I have no clue. The Bedliner stuff sounds like the best option, if it's flexible enough. Or rubber cement mixed with sand?