As much as I like those Weinbrenner wading boots I picked up a few months back, the fact remains they have rubber soles. Rubber soles just don’t grip like felt, but with the latter quickly going the way of the buggy whip I thought I’d make a few tweaks to mine. The improvement? Studs.
Materials/tools I used
– Weinbrenner Propex boots with Goodyear Aquastealth soles
– #6 x 3/8″ zinc sheet metal screws
– A drill with a 5/64″ bit
– A socket wrench
What I did
I first marked a pattern across the boot bottom. I chose eleven spots on each boot – fairly sparse, guaranteeing I’ll still have some rubber on the road. Next, I drilled holes at each mark just a 1/4″ into the boot (slightly less than the screw length) – I wrapped the bit with masking tape that 1/4″ above the tip to ensure I didn’t drill through the sole. I started each screw by hand, and then finished each off with the socket.
Easy.
MG signing off (to test them on the river full of slimy rocks)