Booting up at the start of our last day in the High Uinta Wilderness.
There’s not much worse than uncomfortable wading boots. I’ve been through my fair share of gimmicky laces, soles and traction control. After some trial and error, I learned what’s most important for my comfort is a boot that offers support but is lightweight and “sneaker comfortable”. Early 2019 I purchased a pair of Simms Flyweight wading boots and it wasn’t until after almost 2 years of wearing them that I decided to dust off the idea of writing a review on this blog to honor them.
I just finished a week-long trip to the High Uinta Wilderness in Utah. A bucket list trip for me, I’ve been ogling photos of brightly colored brook, cutthroat and tiger trout from the high-country lakes for years. After some careful planning, googling, map review and valuable local sage advice; the wife and I knew where to find fish.
The one outstanding planning item was what to wade/hike in.
I’ve wet waded in a popular brand name outdoor sandal/water shoes for the last several years. Since most of my backcountry trips in Appalachia are in the warmer months, they allow me to cover many miles comfortably and are a good fit for dual purpose footwear; half wading shoe/half hiker. It wasn’t until this past summer, and a few busted ankles later, that I decided to see what neoprene wading socks would be like.
After a few trial runs on local blue-lining trips, I dialed in the recipe of lightweight, synthetic, padded athletic socks so my feet weren’t rubbing on neoprene seams, Simms Guide Guard wading socks and my Simms Flyweight Boots (studded). We just finished 6 days in some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. From deserts, through hardwood stands and tall pines, across alpine meadows, boggy shorelines and over snow covered rocks. I covered 40 miles of various terrain at high elevations all in my Simms wading boots/neoprene socks combo.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve gotten soft in my middle-aged years. And although my lungs were strained and my shoulders sore from carrying a pack and camera gear, my feet were ready for each day’s new adventure. We caught some incredible fish on this trip and saw some amazing places. Both of which took logging miles. These boots were the right tool for the job.
And let’s not forget, these aren’t a pair of boots I bought for this trip, they are two seasons old now, and although 40 miles in a week is a rarity, these have logged plenty of miles before hitting Utah’s dirt. With tough Vibram soles, these boots have held up under some serious abuse. My studs need replacing before my boots do, that’s a first for me.
