With felt-soled wading boots–and their propensity to introduce invasive species into waterways–becoming Public Enemy #1 at trout streams across the U.S, wading anglers are searching for a solution to the lack of footing they are giving up by abandoning their felt.
Enter Grip Studs, makers of tungsten carbide studs that you screw into the soles of your rubber-sole wading boots. They come in two protrusion lengths–1.9mm standard studs and 4.3mm aggressive studs–and in kits of 20 and 28 studs. Each kit includes an installation tool, which transforms ordinary rubber-sole boots into grippy streambed huggers in a matter of minutes.
I sent a pair to my brother recently to try on some of his favorite Central New York trout streams. His two-cent email review read: “Easy to install, good stability in the river (even though it’s not big water–haven’t been to Salmon River with them yet), no damage to inside of the boot sole (haven’t pushed through), no leaking.”
Works for me. And at $36-$46 a set, they ought to work for you, too.