Chota’s newest wading boot, the Rock Loc boot, is the latest rubber soled model to hit the market. Since the rubber soles have become popular, I’ve tested a pair from about every major manufacturer that has arrived at the shop. Before I hit the river in these I wanted to ask Mark at Chota how they settled on this design.

Mark relayed to me a lengthly process of testing, over a year’s time, before they got the shoe just right. Guides and anglers from different parts of the country put in over 200 days each in these boots and the rubber compound/design changed numerous times based on performance. The final product is a high dirometer rubber (sticky) sole offering grip and the ability to be studded or unstudded. The leather portion of the boot is coated with a PVC finish for added durability and limits absorption.

I tested them in the Gunpowder’s 175 Cfs strong flows in an area with a lot of big rocks, uneven bottom and muddy banks. The Rock Loc boot’s sole has unique features like the raised rubber tread design where the studs screw in and the bumps and ridges on the outer edge of the sole. I wore them unstudded and had great traction on the river bottom, muddy banks and the wet rocks along the shoreline. All the different surface features on the sole made it possible to grip rocks of any shape. Using studs with the new raised sole design will also increase grip as the studs will stick out farther than soles where the stud sits flush to the sole.The boot is stiffer than the STL+, and, since the leather is coated, mud, leaves and dirt rinse off easily. The boots retail at $139.95 and are in stock at Backwater Angler .