Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Korkers - Torrent Wet Wading Shoe


Korkers - Torrent Shoe




The Torrent combines the breathability and the lightweight comfort of a sandal with the support of an athletic shoe. With a closed toe and protective heel counter the Torrent is built for action. Sporting quick drying Dri-lex tm breathable air mesh, the torrent excels on trails and in water, and everywhere in between. Regardless of the activity, the torrent will keep your feet feeling cool and fresh all day, despite warm temperatures.




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Nick@Korkers was kind enough to send a pair of Torrents to me last week .... Thanks! I was stoked to finally start "wet-wading" this summer, well see what happens. It's been unbelievably hot and hiking in waders = not fun! The first trip I got a good idea of what kind of overall set-up I want.... A burly hike over yak hill in the morning heat led me to a beautiful stream with big ol' Cicadas. (trip report coming soon) From there is was through trial and error that I began to dial in my wet-wading set up.

My gear so far consisted of a pair of Korkers Torrent's,
a pair of quick dry pants and a calf-high pair of SmartWool socks. In no time the pocket knife was out and I cut the sock down to a comfortable ankle high temperature. I found out the lack of elasticity on socks is not a good thing, so I tried bare foot. Well thats not really smart move with a brand new shiny pair of shoes but I had to know. The end result after 3 days and 12+ miles is that these are really comfy, a pair of light weight ankle socks (not cut) is a must and a pair of quick dry convertible pants sweetens the deal. The only thing right now that I do not like, is the fact that I didn't do this earlier!

The shoe has a built in "cuff" which fits around your ankle. Its accommodated with a strap to tighten when desired. I really like this feature. The cuff is awesome, its non-restrictive
, the height and stitching caused me no irritation and it keeps sticks and rocks from finding a way in. The strap is ideal for water walking, its snug enough to keep sand and smaller objects from making it past the initial barrier of the cuff, yet its not a nuisance. I also liked this feature for when I was hiking up and down sand/gravel trails... a bit of added protection from unwanted freeloaders. All good things. There are no laces, instead there is a bungle style lace system. One pull and it tightens...easy and simple....So far so good.

I will be updating the progress in a month or two.

2 comments:

BLUEANGLER said...

This is cooool... do they come with interchangeable sole system?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the plug! That shoe is great, but the real test is yet to come. I have a strange feeling you will find a way to break it somehow!