I just forked over $13 at Cabela's for a felt sole kit for converting my rubber tread bootfoot waders to felt soles. I got the kit and read the instructions, but after step two I decided to have a couple more beers and think this one through before I screwed something up. On further reflection (out of beer), I thought I'd write the Board.

I don't have a grinder powerful enough to remove all the rubber tread, so the felt will be in contact with about half the bottom of the boots. I'm wondering if I'm going to end up ruining a good pair of neoprene's by trying to glue the felt onto to the bottoms. Worse, I can see myself wading around when half of one sole comes free and starts flapping around. My normal ballerina-like movements in the river will definitely be impaired.

Anyone have any experience and/ or tips on using these kits? Any alternatives (short of a new pair of waders) that put more traction on rubber treads?

Never had much luck with those things staying on for very long-half a year mabye! I follow all the damn directions too! I agree if anybody has any "super" ideas on this I would be interested too. I went and forked over $125 bucks for a set of Danner wading boots with the studs(they're awesome) and I was just going to let them put soles on when these wear out

We've glued felt onto hip boots and wading shoes that already had felts. The hip boots required grinding off the rubber. Some of the cheaper boots (w/ cheaper rubber) didn't hold the felts but the LaCrosse Industrial boots worked real well. We ground off all the tread with a bench grinder. We use "goop" for the glue. The secret is to tape the glued felts onto the boot real tight. On wading shoes we leave some of the old felt on and also use goop. In the past I've used barge cement, contact cement and another 3-M product no longer made. The goop works good as long as you tape it (scotch tape).About 1 tube per pair of boots.Before felts came along, shag rug was used and worked o.k. If the felt is one long piece, you'll need to cut it almost all the way thru a couple of inches in front of the heel where it flexes. This will help it to stay on better. If the heel is a seperate piece, taper the end of the sole closest to the heel, this area also tends pull off. It helps to fill the boot up with newspaper to make it firm for taping. Hope some of this is useful, good luck.

[This message has been edited by potter (edited 06-24-2000).]

[This message has been edited by potter (edited 06-24-2000).]

Now I remember why the felt sole kit I purchased six years ago is still in the package. Sounds like it would be better to resole my bedroom slippers with them, then to try to attach them to my hipboots. No more worries about slipping on a wet bathroom floor or on spilled milk in the kitchen

Snagly:

Tried all kinds of ways over the yrs.,ground the bottom, used the goop stuff, didn't hold for long, tried the kit's, still wasn't happy now I just buy the boots from Cabela's with the felt on the bottom.
I wear the "old ones" for clam digging, sucking sand shrimp, or weed wacking(keeps the grass off your pants).

"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working".....

Get your self a small hacksaw, the really thin blade on a small bow handle ($ 8 to 15) the hack saw works really well to cut the rubber. then then use some all purpose waterproof weld glue and make a even spred on the sole and the bootsand let it dry with out sticking it on. (water proof cement will work too. now apply your glue that came with the kit and apply it over the sole again and the boot let it dry for at least 2 to 3 days. make sure that all edges are glued. i used this method and it has worked for me. i use my wader 2 to 3x a week and it;s held on for almost 2 years now. good luck

Thanks, everyone, especially for Potter's and Aerofly's advice which in tandem prove to my satisfaction that I'm going to leave the kit in the bag and buy a pair of breathable waders w/ felt-soled boots.

(Twenty years ago I worked one summer as a carpenter and I can assure you that my nickname around the condo complex was not 'Mr. Handyman' based on the number of doors that didn't hang properly, doorknob holes off-center and all sorts of other Federal and State violations. But hey, these were old people and most of them have probably passed away by now . . . I just hope not too many were trapped in their own houses.)

Snagly,
Bill Herzog had a tip on this very subject in the February-March issue of Salmon, Trout and Steelheader 2000 magazine. He says.....to grind the bottom of the boot fairly smooth, but that some roughness is desired for better bonding. Next pack the boot super tight with newspaper, so that you can barely depress the boot with a hard squeeze. Then, go to the hardware store and get some Barge brand all-purpose one-part cement (look for the yellow and red label) and a roll or two of elastic black electricians tape. Using a small disposable foam paint brush, slather the bottom of the boot with a generous amount of cement and then immediately do the same to the felt. Wiat about 10 minutes for both surfaces to become tacky and then line then up and press them together. Starting at the toe, wrap the tape around the felt and the boot (this is why the boots must be packed tight with newspaper) until you have covered every inch of the felt up and down the boot. Don't worry about the excess glue oozing out. Let the glue cure like this for 1 full week before un-wrapping them. Sand the excess glue off and you should be good to go!
I hope this helps!
Randy

I've also got a pair of felt soles still in the package, but as Snagly is about to do, I bought breathable waders and wading shoes. much easier and more comfortable!
As far as glue goes...theres nothing stronger and more durable than Silkaflex. You have to go to a const. supply store like Atlas in Ballard. But if those soles are going to stick this will do it. I'd fill in the treads with the glue instead of grinding them off. good luck!

I had lots of problems keeping the soles on my boots too. Intill I started using the felts from Outdoor Emporium and cleaning the soles the best I could with sand paper. Next wiped the surface real well with acetone. But the thing that made the most difference was I washed the felts and put them in the dryer first, before puting them on the boots.
It seemed if I didn't, the felts would shrink and pull them right off the boot. Any way since I have been doing that I've had no trouble.

Remeber to tape the felts on real tight.

I've had some success, instead of using a bench grinder, I took my boots to a shoe repair shop and let them grind it down for me for about 10 clams. Methods differ from shop to shop so check around. I fould one old timer who used to steelhead, developed a repoire and he used to let me go in back and do it myself, then I couldn't blame him for grinding too far. Big, I mean big belt sanders with 36 grit worked the best for scuffing the sole enough for adhesion. Be careful, some may take it off too fast and then some. There's money in worm farming, but none in scab farming. Follow the directions on the packet and they have been good for a couple of years.
p.s. I usually double coat both surfaces.

Hey take them down to the local tire store ( Les Schwab ) have one of the guys grind it down and use the glue they use on patches..

I took a pair of Lacross hip boots and ground out about 4 slots (1&1/2" each) across the sole of each boot. I then cut strips of the felt for each slot and then applied as mentioned above. The thing I like about is is that I have good traction on the rocks and on the gooey mud that is often found on the trails into the "secret holes" I got tired of the all felt soles cause I always ended up on my butt hiking into them. I have had mine this way for about a year now and love it. It's like having your cake and eating it too!