River Salt Wading Boots (Built By Danner)

I just put these to the test on the McCloud river for 5 days of combat wading - including bowling ball slick basalt, sharp edges, slimy rocks, and precarious trails up and down. They were super solid. Reports of them sizing small turned out to be unfounded for me. I wear size 10.5 in dress shoes, 11 in athletic shoes. Size 11 was perfect for me with wool socks and neoprene wet wading booties as well as neoprene stocking foot waders. The Megagrip soles were solid on everything except slime-coated smooth basalt.

I have always been a huge fan of Danner boots and when I found out they made wading boots for Patagonia I definitely pulled the trigger and bought a pair. Very well made and Danner will fix them if they ever need it. These boots are absolutely the best wading footwear available. They are quite expensive but well worth the cost. I have put them through about 25 days of solid fishing since I received them in March 2019. Hiking in these boots is unlike any other pair I have owned and they feel like high quality hiking boots rather than wading boots. The soles stick to everything from steep trail to slimy river rock! I opted for the Salt River as I do tend to hike into secluded locations as well as run a drift boat so I wanted the lighter version. The boots fit exactly as described so pay attention to the fitting description for sizing up or down depending on the boot you choose. 5 stars in my book and I will most likely never need to buy another pair!

1) If you buy the proper size, they fit like a combat boot. 2) The stability is incredible. 3) For the climbers out there, a bombproof Vibram sole. 4) and, admittedly, I’ve only hiked 50ish miles so far, the fit is great. Send it!

From long walks into fabled trout streams, sketchy wades on steelhead rivers in the pacific northwest, and coral and marl of Caribbean flats these boots have handled it all! Find the right size for what you are planning to use them for most and they will provided good protection and comfort in a variety of situations.

My twin brother recommended to size up on these boots and he was right. In the past I've worn 11's across the board in Patagonia and Simms. These definitely need the size 12 for me. The Patagonia customer service team is second to none and they helped me get them in time for a trip and I can't be more impressed with them and the boots. While they are a little pricey, I will say I feel that they have the wow factor and are made in America, so, for me, I can justify this kind of purchase. I promised one of the reps that I would write a review and I'm following through with that. They're rugged, well built, and feel like they can last the long haul. I usually put over 200 days on the water and I am anxious to put these to work over the next season and I'll try and do a follow up review at the end of the year. I wasn't too sold on the look of the other Danner models, so, I went with the River Salts. I am glad that I did. They are very lightweight and feel like a lighter and more stable modern combat boot. They mate well with my Gallegos and G4's and I feel like they are comfortable and not circulation restrictive like I find a lot of Simms Boots to be like. These boots don't have any notable flaws that I can see and after being in them for an hour hanging out and getting a feel for them I am 100 % confident that sizing up is the right choice. My brother said he tried the 11's on (we both have the same size foot) and he said they were much tighter on the toe box compared to previous models like the foot tractor or ultralight. Any smaller and they wouldn't fit right, so, if you are about to pull the trigger, I would size one size up and you won't regret it if you intend on wearing them with all season waders that have standard neoprene booties. If you only intend on wet wading with them without booties, then you would probably be safe going with the street shoe size. otherwise, I can't emphasize enough how they fit differently from previous boots you may have owned. The size up also doesn't feel sloppy or loose anywhere where I felt like I would slide out of them. I could easily get my thick wool socks on and the neoprene boots with room for another pair of socks if you need them. You will love the boots and I will hopefully be able to report a wonderful review at the end of the year for you. Great job Patagonia!