Wading boots are one of the most important bits of equipment for me. The need to be light when wet (for comfort), tough (for value), and have good grip (for practicality).
Two years ago, at the start of the 22/23 season I spent more money for a single pair of wading boots than ever before, paying $500 for a pair of Orvis Pro Boots. After seeing a heap of pairs on customers the previous year, these boots seemed to be the best of the next generation.
For me there is no point having a tough boot if it weighs more than a brick, so wet-weight was a key factor in choosing the Orvis Pro Boots. I’ve hiked and waded literally hundreds of kilometres in my pair, often in terrain more suited to hiking boots, and they’ve performed brilliantly. After two years of use, the sole is starting to wear down, and the sides are developing a few cracks (which i’ve fixed for now with Seamseal), but they’ve outlasted any previous wading boots, outlasted my hiking boots, and have achieved all of this while being the lightest boot on the market when wet. So after two season’s of use, these boots still rate as my favourite wading boot out of the twenty or so pairs I own: tough as nails and light as you can get. My only gripe after two seasons is the laces: they are terrible, and you’ll need to replacce these pretty early on in the life of the Pro Boots.
