June 09, 2011
By Ross Purnell, Editor
The new Chrome boot uses a Boa Lacing System similar to the Korkers Guide boot discontinued last year, but the rest of the boot has been improved, most noticeably the upgrade to the interchangeable sole system. On the Guide boot, the switch-in soles were slender inserts that slid inside a permanent outsole. The problem was that the outside edge of this system had no contact with the river bottom, and the "traction" portion of the sole was narrow and therefore less stable than a wider boot. This problem is resolved in the new Chrome boot because the upgraded Omnitrax 3.0 interchangeable soles are much wider and cover the entire bottom of the boot. The soles are secured with tab inserts and a stretchy rubber heel strap. Our tester reported no problems with the soles staying on. "The quick-drain ports and all-waterproof materials keep the boots feeling light, and they are easy to clean and dry," he said. You cannot add off-brand studs to these soles, but the Korkers Chrome Kling-On comes with two sets of rubber soles, one with studs and one without. $200 www.korkers.com
