wader boots

anything with felt and in loose rocks sometimes a wading staff/stick will give you better balance

i prefer stockingfoot b/c boot foot can be to small or to big but with stocking foot and can buy a bigger size shoe making them roomier for thick wool socks in winter, hope this helped

for the ultimate in traction, you need carbide studs in whatever our boot is. Studded felt is about the most secure of anything I've found. However, I hate studs. They scratch up rocks and logs making popular areas look unsightly. If you step on your fly line in them you'll usually cut through it. They add weight if you're using strap over korkers (a lot actualy). They also take ALL of the slip out of your boots which is fine on the flat, but when I'm walking on broken rock and chunks I prefer to have a little slip so that if a rock starts to roll up from under me I'm not 'stuck' to it. I'm pretty sure footed from tons of time spent running up and down rivers in sandals and I have a pretty good idea of when a rock is going to move or I'm going to slide. With studs you don't get the same feet.

The only time I chose to wear studs was on saltwater jetties because the consequence of slipping is cut hands/legs and possible drowning if you fall in.

Thanks
Rick

ORIGINAL: BehrendFisher

... I remember freezing my feet numb fishing hip boots back in the day.

An old deer hunter I know used to hunt the swamps in November and December. He would buy hip boots several sizes too large and put pac boot felts inside.

+1 on the chotas. Love my pair.

love the rock locks

I have wader boots but they aren't waterproof.....

You don't need felt in Erie....In fact, I hate felt when there's snow cuz it just packs tight to the felt....I'd probably go with the Chota brand or possibly Simms....For the dead of winter, I like Cabelas spring creek neoprene boot foot....it can be 30 degrees out and you can wear shorts with these waders on.