Menu
When I see waders advertised, most often the seller talks about shell loops, buckles, extraneous pockets, and a host of new features of questionable value. The part that is most often neglected is the boot. Typically, it gets a number put on it, followed by the word Thinsulate, and we are all conditioned to think that the bigger the number, the better the boot. Certainly there must be more to it.
The wader starts at the boot and it is without a doubt one of the most critical parts of the wader. We should all give it a lot more thought when considering the right wader to buy. To do that, we need to be educated on the different kinds of boots available, how they are constructed, and what to look for in a quality wader boot.
There are two primary ways to construct a boot; injection molded boots, and handmade rubber boots. Injection molded boots are just how they sound – PVC plastic is heated into a thick liquid, which is then injected into a metal mold. Once cooled, the mold is opened and out comes a boot. PVC boots are often tough, but lack the flexibility and comfort of a handmade boot. They also do not have the ability to be insulated. Think of the $15 black boot that you can buy at a Tractor Supply or your child’s colorful rainboot. We typically see these on lower priced PVC non-breathable fabric waders. A rubber boot is made by hand and requires much more labor, skill, and time to manufacture. There are a lot of factors that go into making a rubber boot and not all are created the same. The boot is built on a last (it looks like a metal foot from the calf down) and starts with a thin layer of polyester or neoprene for a liner and then is built piece by piece with layers of rubber. Sandwiched in between can be insulation, typically Thinsulate. The boot can be made any number of ways, light or heavy, and reinforced in wear points when necessary. Now, here are the things that you probably don’t really know or haven’t thought about because there is a lack of information on the subject.
First, Thinsulate. When a boot says 1600g of Thinsulate, what do we think that means? If we convert kilograms to pounds, does it mean that it contains 3.52 pounds of Thinsulate per boot? Most certainly not, what it actually means is slightly ambiguous and confusing to the end user. Fabrics are sold by weight per square meter. A square meter of Thinsulate in the industry weighs 200g, so one layer is 200g, 2 layers 400g, 3 layers 600g – you get the picture. However, the ambiguity is where that insulation is located. Somewhere on a 1600 gram boot there are 8 layers of Thinsulate. It may be located just on top of the foot, or is it in the foot bed, or the back? Is it layered all the way up to the top of the boot? Most likely not. Wherever it is, it is going to be extremely bulky and a bulky boot is one that is going to be miserable to walk in. Which brings us to our next point. Yes, there are other ways to insulate a boot. Have you looked inside of your wader boots? Most brands use a polyester liner on the inside of their boot, this provides no insulation.
At High ‘N Dry we use a 3.5mm neoprene liner from the calf to the toe. We all know full well that neoprene insulates on the upper part of a wader, it certainly insulates around the foot as well, with the added benefit of comfort. Using a dual layer system far outperforms Thinsulate on its own. So, yes a big number on the front is well – just a big number that tells you that the manufacturer failed to innovate and they have a big clunky boot that is very difficult to walk any distance in.
Lastly, we should talk about rubber. It’s a rubber boot correct? Have you ever had a pair of rubber boots that cracked just above the ball of your foot? Like so many things, not all rubber is of the same quality. The most important part of the composition of a rubber boot is in fact natural rubber, it is also the most expensive ingredient. It makes a boot both durable and flexible. As you might imagine, a lot of companies like to save a few dollars in their bottom line. They lower the natural rubber content and assume no one is the wiser, well that is until a year or so later when your boot cracks, getting you soaked and ruining your day. At High ‘N Dry we didn’t reinvent the boot, we looked at what works and spent our money on quality. We use 55% natural rubber in our boots, and sure it costs more, but in our quest to make a better wader it’s beyond worth it. We also added extra layers of rubber at flex points where boots get the most wear.
Key Takeaways:
Boots may not be as exciting to talk about as new camo patterns, pockets, logo placements and marketing gimmicks. But at the core of every wader is a boot, and that boot needs to be comfortable, warm, form fitting and dry.