| Closure: | boa lacing system |
|---|---|
| Color: | Taupe |
| Height: | above the ankle |
| Includes: | Sticky rubber & Sticky rubber / studs |
| Manufacturer: | Korkers |
| Midsole: | drainage ports |
| Model: | Metalhead |
| Recommended Use: | fly fishing |
| Type: | Boots |
| Upper Material: | waterproof synthetic |
| Warranty: | 1 year |
I like these boots a lot -- I've fished in them for some 10-12 days now, and here are my initial impressions:
BOA: I really like this system -- it makes it very easy to put the boots on and to take them off. I am looking forward to using them in the winter, hoping that it won't ice up like my regular laces do. I am not able to get the boots as tight as I did with laces -- I get to a point where it's pretty hard to spin the wheel, and I'm afraid of breaking it.
Fit: I wear 10-10.5 street size, and the size 10 Korkers were the ones that fit. I tried 11's and 12's, thinking that with the waders I need to go up a size. I almost made the 11's work with an extra insole, but the BOA didn't let me crank it tight enough. Go with your street size.
Kling-on rubber: very poor. I tried it out on the Eagle River (CO), and feel twice in the first hour. The rubber soles don't stick to anything. But I'm guessing they'll work well for hiking and for sandy creeks in WI.
Felt sole: pretty good. It still slides around mossy rocks, but works much better than the rubber.
Studded felt sole: best choice. I used this on the Green River (UT), Arkansas (CO), Yampa (CO), and it worked great everywhere.
The outer sole is glued to an orange plastic, and that plastic seems poor quality. One of my rubber soles cracked while being removed (Backcountry.com already replaced it), but I see hairline cracks in the other soles, just from regular use.
Since soles are so easy to swap, I'm using the rubber sole to hike/motorcycle to the river, and then swapping to studded felt for actual fishing.
On the overall I'm very pleased with the boots, now that I found the size that fits me. The sole interchange system is good, and I look forward to trying out the Svelte sole when it comes out too.
These boots are worthy of being in your bag. They provide a great fit with the Boa closure system that locks you in so when the outsoles kick in to high gear, your as surefooted as a mountain goat. After four 15+ hour days in these boots immediately after taking them out of the box, I am happy to report that they made a great impression. They were incredibly comfortable all day long - the only reason I was reminded I was wearing them was when the traction saved my bacon (several times a day).
The only boots I'll wear from here on out...
These boots are fantastic! The Boa lacing system lets you get in and out of these things easily without having to hop on one foot all over the parking lot. The synthetic materials dry quickly and the felt soles provide great footing.