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Whether felt or rubber, with the use of spikes in the sole, you can optimize any wading shoe and get maximum grip! In addition to greater safety on different surfaces, spikes offer another advantage - the sole is protected and the lifetime is increased.
If you place and mount the spikes correctly, it not only extends the grip from the wading shoe, it also extends the lifetime of the sole, for rubber and felt. Screwing the spikes into the sole gives the shoe more grip in the water on different, slippery and uneven surfaces. On land, the spikes act like a kind of cleat that you walk on when you're on a footpath, for example. This has the ingenious advantage that the weight of the body rests on the studs and pressure is taken off the sole. Thus, the lifetime of the various sole is extended enormously. After all, most soles do not wear out while wading, but while strolling over the rough asphalt of the streets. Not without reason, the hoe of a felt sole is often the first to wear out.
But the extension of lifetime is only one bonus that you get when using spikes or studs. Much more important is the grip on the different surfaces of our rivers, lakes or the coast.
An ingenious combination of Virbram and spikes
For an optimized, secure grip, the position and mounting of the spikes is essential. If you place the spikes in the wrong place, you do not always optimize the grip of the sole. Regardless of felt or rubber or Vibram, the position of the studs is critical. The position with the most load on the body is also the place that needs a spike. We always advise to start with a few spikes and approach slowly. When standing and fishing, the load is mostly on the hoe, thus also a good area for spikes. When walking or wading, we use the front area of the sole to roll off - also a good area for a few spikes. In most cases we start with 2 spikes in the rear and 4 in the front area, it is not necessary to screw the whole pack, whose contents are often 20 to 30 spikes, into the sole. If during wading you feel that you have found a point where you often stand, but also often slip, then my can screw in this area 1 to 2 additional spikes in the wading shoe and test the grip of the optimized sole again.
The correct position of the spikes is crucial for grip and safe wading.
Also an important factor when mounting in Vibram shoes (rubber soles), is the mounting of the spikes in the valleys of the profile. Only in this way can you fall back on the grip of the geniealen soles, which is additionally supported by the spikes. If one screws a spike on the mountain of the profile (highest point of the sole) one runs on hard grounds only on the spikes and no longer on the rubber sole. So if you want to take advantage of both grip, from the spike, as well as the Vibram sole, which we recommend, you should arrange the spikes or studs between the profile to get the maximum grip.
With a felt sole, on the other hand, choosing the right position is easier. Felt soles have no profile and thus the spikes can be arranged quite individually. Depending on taste and load, however, we recommend using a maximum of 4 spikes in the rear and 6 in the front area.
Guideline Tungsten Studs with mounting tool for easy attachment of the studs
In most cases, a spike kit already comes with a handy mounting tool. Other kits only have the spikes, but these usually have a hexagonal head or a head with a cross recess. So in both cases, it's not witchcraft to mount the additional grip option. Simply apply sufficient pressure to the spikes and screw them into the sole as far as they will go. Many of the spikes on the market are already suitable for rubber and felt. Few manufacturers have spikes specifically for felt and rubber. In both cases, however, there is no need to worry about damaging the shoe or even piercing the sole. Should the packaging specification be for felt, the spikes are extra suitable for felt and the same for rubber soles. If no indication is made, the spikes are to be used for both soles without hesitation.
Our conclusion:
With the use of spikes, you can optimize both felt, rubber and Vibram soles to get maximum grip on all surfaces. As a plus, the sole is somewhat relieved and thus increases the durability of the different soles. Thanks to the easy assembly, as well as disassembly, it is a cheap alternative for more grip and maximum durability to be longer and safer with the wading shoe on the road.
