I have been wearing the
Simms Freestone wading boot for three seasons now and I am very pleased with this boot. I spend a lot of time wading tough rivers such as the Truckee and North Yuba and these boots stand up to the toughest conditions that I come across.This is my second pair and they are exceptionally comfortable and very durable. Getting in and out of them is a breeze due to the gusseted tongue. The Vibram soles are fantastic but as you can see after 100+ days in these boots they are starting to show some wear. I went through two sets of the Alumibite studs before I felt they weren't worth the cost and replaced them with 1/2" #8 sheet metal screws available from my local hardware store.
I give these a 4 out of 5 star rating based on comfort-ability, durability and price. Listed at $129 these are a lot of boot for the price.
I bought their guide boot for $200 and wore it out after a little over a year, was disappointed with the cost/value proposition. I almost got these but ended up getting the Simms Rivertek Boa earlier this week because of the steel lace system and synthetic construction (leather doesn't work well). Thanks for the review. Also, for studs, look into cold cutter studs, they're designed for motorcycle ice racing and are much stronger than sheet metal screws but a fraction of the cost of Simms studs (which must be made out of gold for what they charge)
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