For years now I’ve used wading boots with metal cleats on the soles. For my streams, I prefer aluminum cleats as these work best for the slippery bowling balls that make up the bottom of my streams. But every once in a while I’ll go fishing in hiking shoes instead of my regular wading boots. I’ve tried a lot of various hiking/wading boot combinations but I’ve never found one that can do both hiking and wading really well. I find (despite all the advertising and review hype) that they either are great at hiking but suck at wading or vice versa.
So this past season I tried Chota Cloak Wading Shoe Covers. These slip over your shoes and help turn them into a better wading platform than your shoes are by themselves. The Cloak Covers have a removable felt sole, and it’s these that make the magic happen. I’m not usually a fan of felt, as I don’t like hiking in felt soled boots, but since these covers are removable, you can hike in your comfortable footwear then slip the covers on at the stream. The felt soles are held on by hook-and-loop attachments so they can be removed at home to be cleaned and dried easily.
They are lightweight and pretty inexpensive (for Chotas, that is). They work pretty well too! Are they perfect? No, nothings perfect, but they work quite well for this type of wading.
So, Chota Cloak Wading Shoe Covers give you another option for your wading kit. They’re lightweight, convenient, inexpensive and they can be compressed and placed in a plastic bag when you are done wading (so your pack doesn’t get all wet and gross). Nice! Give them a try and see if they work for you too!
Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this product is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ. I purchased the Cloak shoe covers at retail price. I have no formal affiliation with Chota.
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