Allen Co. Clear Creek Nylon Hip Wader Boots - Felt Sole (For Men)

I fish small mountain streams for wild brook trout. My last pair of rubber waders lasted about 28 years (with several glued on patches to maintain their longevity). They were heavy and bulky so I thought I'd try this new light weight model from Allen. Out of the box they smell real bad because of the preservatives used to maintain them during warehouse storage.First thing I did was wash them thoroughly with Dawn dishwashing detergent and a sponge in hot water, rinsed them with cold, and hung them upside down in the garage to dry. That removed most of the smell. After drying them, I wiped them down with Aerospace 303 UV protectant. When I ordered them, I took the advice of the previous reviewers and ordered one size larger. The fit was perfect and I had enough room for a light pair of wool socks and a second pair of heavier Dachstein wool socks. This double wool sock combination has the insulating ability of a felt boot insert but with more flexability which is great for wading rocky, cold water mountain streams. The felt soles were a definite advantage on the slimy rock bed. No stumbling around and my footing was secure. The legging section was also perfect for my thighs. I only adjusted the thigh straps about an inch or so. All in all, a perfect wader bargain for my type of fishing where I'm hiking a few miles back into the deep woods to reach my favorite fishing streams.

Haven't had these in water yet. Did try them on and they fit well. Look like decent quality construction. Good value based on price paid. Only negative so far is strong chemical smell (perhaps an additive, release agent, or adhesive for the felt soles). Still smell when walking by them after they've aired out in the garage for a couple weeks now. Will probably lessen with use.

I used these waders for freshwater trout fishing in an extremely rocky area with water up to 3 or 4 feet. The felt was extremely grippy on the slippery rocks. They dry out very quickly, which is good when there's warm weather and your legs get sweaty. The downside is that the rubber doesnt do a good job of keeping your feet warm if the water temp is down, but that can be solved with warm socks. Also, there are two things that stick out more than anything else. When these waders show up in the box, they are extremely smelly. They have an intense chemical smell, so youre going to need to air them out for a while, and washing them doesnt help. The smell only went away after 3 days of constant fishing. The sizing is also completely off. I wear an 11 normally, but I ordered a 12 after reading everyone's comments on here, and they were still kinda snug. Overall, these waders are awesome. I'm going to buy a second pair just as a backup.

They fit well, although I wish I would had ordered the 12 instead of 11 as my feet slide up & my toes touch the front of the boots. But, they'll work. I'm a female size 11 and ordered 11 in these thinking men's sizes run bigger.

Shoe sized too small, I take an eleven and I found that their twelve was only just big enough. First pair had a very small leak on one leg. I got an exchange without any problem.