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Having just survived a near miss ... slime covered rocks vs me and a Lowepro Super Trekker I wondered what footwear others use when photographing in slippery locations? I'm thinking slime covered rocks that always feature en route to the "perfect" viewpoint; either coastal or river. I tend to wear walking boots with a good Vibram rubber sole but my latest experience has left me debating whether I need to invest in a pair of wading boots as used by anglers. I'm not talking thigh length waders here but something more akin to shorter boots with either a felt or studded sole. Does anyone use them? Can they be worn as "regular" boots (say) on a beach until they are needed when crossing slippery rocks? Any advice? Thanks!

Helen and I have just discussed this and, as Helen is extremely experienced in peculiar hobbies like sea fishing, I would take here advice. In a word (or three), there is nothing that will stop you slipping on algae or slime, apart from, maybe, crampons

Ask Tim Parkin about this - he has a set of multi-purpose boots that do what you are looking for...

I guess you are talking about these types of wading boots?

http://www.orvis.co.uk/store/shopbystyl ... op_id=9255

Anyone used these?

You could try some chainsaw wellies, Husqvarna and Still both make them. You can get titanium studs for them that are used for moving about on wet/slippery trunks that have been felled.
I would think any agricultural outlet will sell them as will stores for forestry stuff.

http://www.newsawchains.co.uk/epages/es ... ts/YB-0001 example.

Gari

I've worn wellies for that kind of stuff, and from November to the end of March they are way better than most boots in anything beyond dampness for regular landscape tackling. My current faves are Hunter Ballmoral. Dead good for walking long distances in. very comfy, great sticky grips. Try a pair and you will fall in love with them.

Vibram gives rubbish traction on smooth rock, wet or otherwise. I tend to be wearing climbing approach shoes (FiveTen) for non-distance photoing, including seashore stuff. They've got basically the stickiest rubber going. Unlike wellies these are also just good general knocking around footwear for generally fair weather outdoors use, plus you won't look a spanner in the pub.

I'd tend to reserve wellies for spots when you're genuinely going to be submerged in some water.

I've not found anything that works on slime covered rock really, I think you'd even struggle with crampons, just getting the purchase on the rock!
I'd second FiveTens though as really grippy shoes (I have the CampFours) They grip amazingly well on clean wet rock, only ever not worked on Ice, slime covered rocks and slick muddy slopes but that last one is probably more to do with the tread pattern!
I wear em with Sealskinz socks and have always had dry happy feet

Would any of these boots prevent slipping on ice.... especially black ice?

PS: Do the Balmoral boots come with the Queen's signature on it, like Joe Cornish's signature on my dark cloth?

studded rugby boots? tis a difficult one that.

Bobsleigh/skeleton shoes? Or whatever curlers wear on one foot but not the other.

Paul Arthur wrote:Ask Tim Parkin about this - he has a set of multi-purpose boots that do what you are looking for...

Not cheap but very comfortable, laces don't go slack when wet and interchangeable soles (perfectly happy doing a 5 mile walk in them and then swapping to a pair of felt soles - saved my skin at Black Nab...

http://www.fishtec.co.uk/productdetaili ... 0/no/44123

Tim

p.s. I got fed up of crap waterproof trousers and got these instead

http://www.fishtec.co.uk/productdetaili ... 0/no/44169

I look a bit of an idiot with them on but no change there then.. another excuse to find less well known places

These look interesting...

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/product/snow ... -grip-sole

Following a bit of furtehr research I have ordered a set of screw in stainless steel studs for my Hunter wellies
Only cost a fiver for enough studs for both boots and if this works I may "invest" in a proper pair of wading boots!

My good old Zamberlan Trek-lites (leather boots with Vibram soles) have taken me along a few long distances footpaths including the Pennine Way, up ALL the Munros and a few other british mountains, across glaciers and up a few Alps, squelching through Derbyshire peat bog, scrambling up sharp rocks on Skye, plodding along endless Dorset beaches and negotiating the snow-covered platform four at Biggleswade station. I'm on my third pair over a period of 23 years and hope they are still available when I replace them soon.