The guide standard, in felt. Simms builds the G3 like a work boot: traditional construction aimed at near permanence, with a re-soling program so a worn pair gets rebuilt instead of thrown away. Top marks in Simms's own ratings for ankle support: 5 out of 5.
Construction
- High-abrasion textile mesh upper with synthetic and natural rubber and scratch rubber overlays, no leather, so it stays lighter when wet
- Simms 10mm felt outsole; studdable
- Traditional work-boot construction; re-soling available
- Weight: 79.60 oz (2,257 g) per pair, size 11
- Width EEE, sizes 7-16
Current pricing is on the selector above.
Felt: the honest case, both ways
Nothing grips slick, algae-covered freestone like felt. On the right river it is genuinely safer than rubber, and anglers who have taken a hard fall know why people stay loyal to it.
The cost is biosecurity. Felt holds water, mud, and organisms far longer than rubber, which makes it a much better vector for whirling disease spores and didymo between drainages. Some states have banned it outright; Colorado has not, but the risk here is real: whirling disease has a history in these waters.
If you fish felt, commit to cleaning it. Scrub, rinse, and dry your boots completely between rivers, and never move straight from one drainage to another with wet felt. If you fish several rivers in a week, the Vibram version of this same boot is the better citizen and we stock it: studs recover most of the grip.
Prefer a dial to laces? The G3 Guide BOA is this same boot with a BOA closure, sold as its own model in both Vibram and felt.
Sizing: the part people get wrong
Wading boots go over wader booties, so Simms's own guidance is to size one full size up from your street shoe: street 9 becomes boot 10. Half sizes round up.
Bring your waders in and try boots on over them. Ten minutes in the shop is the difference between boots you love and boots that give you blisters. Call 970-964-9991 and we will have your sizes ready.
Warranty: Simms covers defects in workmanship and materials, and will repair wear-related damage for a reasonable fee. The 60-day and one-year terms apply to waders only: boots fall under the general defect warranty. Simms publishes no country of origin for their boots.
Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
