Let’s face it, with each passing season the fly fishing industry becomes more and more technologically diverse. Manufacturers are pushing the limits of design and materials in all aspects of fly fishing. From Incredibly lightweight fly rods, to space age machined fly reels, and even wading boots. Yes, that’s right, I said wading boots. It’s hard to fathom that wading boots can be part of this equation.
The truth is, the wading boot should be one of the most integral pieces of gear within the kit of a fly angler not to mention one that receives a high level of stress. Many anglers that I know do a fair amount of hiking over rough terrain prior to jumping into a river full of potential hazards with every step. In all reality, this means that anglers are really in need of some high-performance footwear for a successful day on the water. They should look no further than the Wraptr Series Boots from Korkers Footwear.
Korkers was nice enough to send over a pair of these boots in early January for me to check out and test. For the last couple of months have been putting these through their paces. Anyone who knows me knows that I am hard on gear, especially boots and I have to say I am really impressed.
Here are just a few of the factors that I feel set these boots apart from other options:
Innovative Construction: How innovative can a wading boot really be you ask? Before tackle this question let’s take a second to understand traditional wading boot technology. A wading boot is traditionally designed with two parts an “Upper” and an outsole. Since Korkers has mastered the outsole with their interchangeable Omntrax 3.0 sole system they decided to set their sights on revolutionizing the upper design.
For those who are confused with the term “Upper” it is essentially everything that covers your foot. This integral part of the footwear is typically constructed by layering different materials together with a combination of adhesive and stitching and adhesive to ensure that this “shell” stays together.
Simply put, there is one major problem with this design. Every stitch and seam within a wading boot is a potential point of failure. Knowing that wading boots take a beating each time we are out on the water anglers will eventually find their boots bursting at the seams.
Korkers decided to tackle this head on with the introduction of the “WRAPTR TECH”. The development staff has designed a boot that has practically eliminated those failure points by constructing a compression molded, single seam, one piece upper.
This construction allows for a more durable, lighter weight system that is less prone to failure overall.
Korkers Omni-Trax 3.0 Interchangeable Soles: Although innovative, this system is not new for Korkers. Korkers continues to improve on this system with the introduction of the Triple Threat Soles. This sole is 100% customizable and gives anglers the option to choose between Aluminum Bars, Carbide Spikes, and Hex Discs. The combinations are endless and are adaptable for just about any angling situation.
I am personally a big fan of the aluminum bars. The bars are very much like a fine wine as they get better with age. As the bars get scratched up they stick better to the riverbed and give better traction performance
For those of you in the market for some new wading boots I would suggest checking these out and giving them a try. They are most definitely worth a look. Check them out HERE
