Korkers Stealth Sneaker

A light, stylish and comfortable fusion between stiff wading sandals and dependable guide boots.

Tim Romano

October 4, 2024

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Korkers | Stealth Sneaker

product description

“The first of its kind, Stealth Sneaker is as light as a sneaker, tough as a boot. The most agile fishing footwear on the market for when you need to sneak up on spooky fish.” – Korkers

company ethos

“Ingenuity and problem-solving remain our team’s guiding principles. No other company brings you adaptable traction footwear this comfortable, well-made or diverse. And you have our word, moving forward, we’re gonna keep standing tall on what we do best, so you can stand tall doing yours.” – Korkers

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For me, it was all about looks at first. Even when I had them in my hands, I thought to myself, “Finally, someone made a cool looking wading boot.” Heck, they even come with two lace color choices. I went with red laces on the black boot just because I liked the unconventional look.

Performance-wise, they also seemed to be right up my alley, because I’m a wet-wading guy who values minimal footwear. But I’m also a blue-liner who likes to hike far into the backcountry to find and fish those subtle small creeks and rivers. And because they are quite light at only 1.1-pounds per boot, they’re easy to put some miles on.

But better than that, after having tracked through literally dozens of trail and riverbed miles since early spring (from Montana’s Paradise Valley to the Front Range region of Colorado), I’ll also vouch that they’ve held up admirably. When wading, they also are light and not heavy or bulky, and you feel the rocks under your feet, which I consider another plus.

The Stealth Sneaker is definitely snug in the “fitting” category. I have fairly narrow feet and sized up a “half-size” to give my toes some space (I even was wearing neoprene booties). If you have wide feet, especially, you’ll want to size up, so you don’t feel pinched in your toes.

On the durability front, nothing has failed yet, but they are water shoes and something inevitably will. The water drainage isn’t terribly fast. The “Kling-On Rock” outsole rubber does its job and is sticky and flexible, but don’t expect to take these shoes to the Madison or Deschutes and cruise around without cleats–optional Xtra-Bite carbide screw-ins (purchased separately) are available for added traction. Wading anglers should use the optional cleats, unless you’ll be fishing from a boat and don’t want the deck scratched up.

All around, I consider the Stealth Sneakers a light, stylish, durable and fun boot to wade in–for my favorite type of fishing. If you want beefy boots to anchor you to the river bottom, there are better options. Likewise, if you only wet wade, you can go lighter. But these boots, or “sneakers,” are part of Korkers’ Wade Lite lineup and they’re worth a hard look.

Pros

Light for wading boots, heavy for sneakers or sandals–but just right for wading and fishing in combination with neoprene booties.

Surprisingly durable, given the lightness.

Good looking (at least stylish and different) for wading shoes/boots.

Cons

Fit tight, so be sure to size up.

If you’re going to wade more than 150 days a year, you’ll need a beefier boot.

If you like BOA closure systems, particularly from Korkers, you’re dealing with laces again–but at least you can choose red ones.

I’d recommend the Stealth Sneakers to anyone in the market for a light, comfortable wading shoe/boot, especially if you’re going to rack up some hiking miles, spend days exploring, or plan to be fishing from a boat.

However, I wouldn’t plan on putting more than 150 days a year on these soles, or guiding with that many walk-wade trips a year.

At $149.99, they cost about $80 less than the Simms Flyweight Wading Boots, so the value is significant for 90% of anglers out there.

Price: $149.99
Weight: 2.2 pounds
Height: 7.5 inches
Construction/Materials: Hydrophobic materials for fast drying to increase comfort and reduce the spread of invasive species
Traction: Proprietary Kling-On Rock™ outsole delivers lightweight, flexible performance with solid grip on dry and wet rock
Lacing: Traditional laces with reinforced eyelets
Durability: Ballistic seamless loom technology provides abrasion-resistance and supreme durability
Internal Drainage: Water flows through internal channels then out midsole ports, quickly removing excess water and weight
Warranty information: Korkers warranty

“Built like a boot, performs like a sneaker”:

Korkers warranty.

“We stand behind our products with our Rock Solid Guarantee. We warrant our footwear to be free from defects (materials and workmanship) for a minimum of one year. If you have any issues, file a claim, and we'll make it right.”

If you appreciate product value, if you’re focused on foot comfort as you fish, if you’re a “sneaker head” who actually cares about footwear styling, this shoe/boot is for you.

If you’re a weekend warrior, who likes to dabble into the backcountry, this boot/shoe is for you. If you row a boat all the time, and don’t want goat stompers on your feet every day, these are a good option too.

If, on the other hand, you need guide-level durability, or you require incredibly stiff soles to keep you stable as you wade–not so much. But kudos to Korkers for a good idea, thoughtful design and making some waves in the wading boot world.

The sticker price is also pretty reasonable.

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