Forra Wading Boots

I've recently returned from 40 days fishing New Zealand's back country in a brand new pair of Forras. I generally covered 10-20 km per day, in stream, along rough boulder banks, up mountains, and through forests. I probably covered about 600 km, mostly over very rough ground and often carrying a 18 kg rucksack. This is my experience with the boots.

Firstly, they are incredibly lightweight when dry or wet. This significantly reduces fatigue during the longer walks when compared with heavier options on the market.

Secondly, despite the lightweight construction, the Forras are surprisingly durable. The main nylon material has held up very well and there are no delamination issues apparent on any of the plastic sections after 600 km (see photos). The laces are still ok and the material lace loops still look fine (these were a big concern for me initially). The tread has worn down quite a bit and is definitely less defined, but there's still plenty of rubber left (see photos).

The lightweight construction of these boots does come at the cost of reduced ankle support. Even with the laces doubled around the top of the boot, the upper section remains fairly flexible, particularly when compared with more burly wading boots available on the market. If serious ankle support is a necessity you, you should consider other options.

The toe and sides of the boots are well protected by fairly solid plastic and this material has held up well with no splits/delamination. The threads holding the upper plastic sections are well protected and have not begun to go yet.

The in stream grip of these boots on rocks seems good but this is always hard to assess objectively without wearing different types of boot on each foot. Ultimately, slippy rocks are always slippy in rubber boots and it's worth using a wading stick. The grip on the trail is definitely good though, with the aggressive tread finding great traction.

I found the boots very comfortable straight out of the box with no blister issues despite long daily walks with wet feet ( I exclusively wet waded). I take a size 11. 5 UK/45 EU/12US in street shoes and had to return the size 11 I purchased from Patagonia. com because they were slightly too small. The size 12 fit me perfectly with a pair of Darn Tough socks under a pair of XL Patagonia neoprene socks.

Personally, I found these boots to be the perfect option for serious back county fishing. I'd strongly recommend them to anyone looking for a lightweight durable pair of wading boots to cover long distances over rough terrain if serious ankle support is not a top priority.

They were great boots--comfortable and light with reasonably good traction--while they lasted, but they didn't last very long. The tread was worn down with the soles were more or less smooth after about 8 months of use. I put a lot of miles on them, and I can be a little rough on my gear, but I expect to get at least a year out of my wading boots.

I recently purchased these boots from a local shop. These boots have excellent grip with no studs. The ankle support is awesome and the boot being on the lighter side is great as well. I have owned several different brands of wading boots. These are hands down the best wading boots on the market. Hope patagonia keeps this boot in their line up for a long time.

Was excited to get my new forra boots, not so much after 2 fishing trips.

Felt great to wear but after the second fishing trip i noticed that the wading boots had made a hole in my waders in the stocking foot as well as alot of rips throughout the waders.

Never had this issue before in any wader boots.

Trying to return them to the store as we speak, waiting for their response.