10.01.22 Orvis comes out with a new $900 wader......

     Well, well, well. So here we go. This could be interesting. Orvis has just introduced their PRO Zip Bootfoot Waders. They have had the PRO Zip out in a stocking foot wader for a few years and now are entering the upper level wader market competing with Simms and Patagonia. For years we have had a love/hate with the Orvis Clearwater Bootfoot. I have always liked these as they are light, breathable and have the felt bottom which is great if you fish from the rocks, especially the ones in New Jersey. Places like Rhode Island have rocks that stick, not the ones here where you slip. 

     I have been through a bunch of pairs of the above Clearwaters, and before that the Enduras. I do fish hard and put gear through the ringer, especilly when it comes to waders. My new Simms G3's that I put into service this spring already look like I have had them for 5 years. But the Clearwaters at times have hung in 

there until they don't. Then go back and hopefully are replaced or a credit is given to another pair. You know I feel the angler has a responcibility to care for and expect normal wear and tear to not be covered by the manufacturer. If you beat the shit out of somehting them one day you will have to replace it at your expense. But when things go bust on the first outing or within the first year the manufacturer should bear a little responcibility for that. The Clearwater has a price of $349, which isn't cheap, but it compares with the other manufacturers and their non-pro line. 

     So far my Simms waders are good, and again, with hundreds of tough hours in them scaling the boulder and concrete fields in Trenton, they are holding up well, for now. They go for $749 and must be custon ordered, which isn't really true, they are not custom, they can only be purchased after you directly place an order. No little Italian suit maker comes out and measures you up. 

     So let's go back to the new PRO Zip bootfoot. Here is how Orvis describes the new product,

The Story

The industry’s most durable breathable wader, now with a bootfoot of vulcanized rubber over 5mm neoprene with grid-fleece-insulation for boat-bound anglers, guides and the hearty souls that push through abysmally cold winter conditions. Twice as abrasion-resistant as comparable waders and with nearly 2x the puncture-resistance thanks to an exclusive 100% CORDURA® fabric with four layers in the upper and five layers in the lower. In another excusive partnership, the studdable Michelin® outsole provides best-in-class wet rubber traction. We’ve even tested the TIZIP® Masterseal zipper for more than 200 days to ensure failsafe waterproof performance alongside the zip wader’s easy on/off convenience. If you’re thinking these were designed specifically for those who require the height in season-after-season reliability, you’re definitely onto something. On the upper, we’ve included split, fleece-lined handwarmer pockets, two external storage pockets with YKK AquaGuard® coated zippers, and split Hypalon® daisy chain for tool docking. Inside are two internal storage pockets for fly boxes and accessories. Adjustable elastic suspenders with opposing buckles for waist-high conversion. The five-layer lower incorporates removable OrthoLite® X25 knee pads. The bootfoot sole also features the same Bloom™ technology outsole/midsole as our PRO Wading boot, which replaces petroleum-based foam with an algae-based formula and actually offsets 50 gallons of water waste per pair. Athletic Fit.

Nylon shell with polyurethane membrane. Nylon tricot liner. Imported.

22 sizes M-XL including short and long sizes, with boot sizes from 9-13. Boots fit true to size.

      The wader sells for $898 which is one of the more expensive waders I have seen. For that money they better stand behind it $200 %. They have a 100% satufaction guarantee for life, but anglers don't care about that when they are out on the rocks in the cold and have went all-in on a pair of waders. We generally don't have two pairs, especilly when they are this expensive, so a leak will put you out of commision for a while. 

     So who wears bootfoot waders? Most freshwater anglers wear stocking foot. Saltwater anglers prefer bootfoot as the sand just loads up in the laces and gravel guards. Maybe the coldwater anglers prefer them since they fish for steelhead in -20 degree water. Not sure on that. About 10 years ago 

I reached out to Orvis and asked if they were interested in working to develop a solid saltwater bootfoot wader as the Endura waders just weren't designed for hard core fishing. That offer didn't go far, and it should have, but it is good to see them finally coming around. 

     I think Orvis will have a tough time selling $900 waders especially to anglkers who have lived and died with the various lines of bootfoot waders and wondered each time after putting them on if, 'This is it, they're starting to leak".