Winter shoes

When ice fishing in late autumn or winter, the warmth of your feet is essential for overall comfort. Frozen or wet feet are not a good fishing companion. In the past, this has certainly been a big problem for fishermen, as rubber boots are very cold-attracting, and waders are no good on wet snow or in precipitation. Now this problem no longer exists. The shoe industry has started to produce boots that neither freeze nor get wet inside or out. Quality winter boots for fishing are usually of two types - breathable boots with a Goretex membrane or eva boots with a removable vellum.

Breathable winter fishing boots

These are usually boots with a Goretex membrane and Primaloft or Thinsulate insulation. These boots should be called tactical or hiking boots rather than fishing boots, because unfortunately they are not as comfortable as one would like. Around 2010, these boots were very popular among fishermen because everyone wanted to try out what was new and hoped that the high price would guarantee comfort. However, as time went on, more and more fishermen had to admit to themselves that although the boots are comfortable, they are not warm. And especially not dry. No matter how good the Goretex membrane is, that breathability from a winter boot is not great. The very tips of the toes and the sole get sweaty very quickly, and sitting on a winter boot makes the feet of many a fisherman cold.

Eva winter boots

95 per cent of fishermen choose eva boots with a removable vellum for winter. Such boots are, first of all, very warm. Warm not so much because of the inner sock (the veil) but because of the structure of the eva material itself. Eva does not attract the cold at all because the material is densely porous with air gaps. Also, eva shoes are very light compared to any other shoe. Of course, you can not only walk in the rain with them, but you can also ride in them. But what about breathability, because eva material does not breathe? There is no problem with breathability either, because it is a shoe within a shoe. The removable inner liner not only acts as a thermal insulator but also pushes sweat to the outside of the liner. All the moisture stays on the eva walls and on the outside of the veil, but not on the inside. It is therefore necessary to remove the inner socks and dry them after every active fishing session. The biggest disadvantage of the eva boots is that the sole of the eva material itself is slippery. It is not very pleasant to walk on wet ice during the thaw. For this purpose, spiked EVA boots are available. When choosing spiked boots, it is important to consider whether the spikes are embedded in the eva sole or in a more robust material. If you are looking for a shoe for a longer period of time, choose a non-eva sole. This is because the spikes come out of eva soles quite quickly. There are modern eva shoes with a rubber sole and with a hinged spike block in the heel. This is the Norfin Klondaik. You can fold the spikes out if you need them, or if you don't need them, just fold them in.

In the past, the Lithuanian market was dominated by shoes made in Russia, but with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, there are very few of these shoes on the market. The most popular Eva shoes have become those made by the Polish company Lemigo. Their price is even lower than that of shoes made in China, because large shoes require large boxes and transport is a very large part of the cost of the shoe. So shoes from China are not as competitive. You can buy NOrfin, Lemigo and Camminare eva shoes from another Polish manufacturer online.