Patagonia River Salt Boots II Review

I’m the type of angler who doesn’t like complicating my gear selection. Don’t get me wrong, I love fly fishing gear; I love trying new product, buying gear for the shop and contemplating the merits and shortcomings of new releases with my coworkers, customers and fishing partners. For a new item to end up in my kit, though, it’s got to solve a problem or improve upon what I’ve got.

The River Salt Boot II is the latest offering from Patagonia, made by Fitwell; a mountain-focused footwear company out of Italy. Following up on their first boot collaboration, the River Salt II was designed to stand out as a lightweight saltwater/freshwater crossover boot focused on wet wading, quick on & off, and being comfortable without sacrificing durability or protection. What they’ve come up with is a boot that’s every bit at home on the banks over your favorite western tailwater as it is stalking fish across a coral flat or laying in wait on the floor of a boat.

With a couple of late winter saltwater trips standing between me and another summer chasing bugs & trout around the west, it was shaping up to be the perfect opportunity to test out these new boots in a variety of settings. After a handful of days both on the flats chasing tails and evenings patrolling the local river banks, I have to say: I’m quite impressed. This is a product that’s going to take up permanent residence in my kit; and not only for a few weeks of the year.

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Salt:

In my personal experiences as well as years of speaking with saltwater anglers in the shop, there's often some sort of trade off with flats footwear. Perhaps you feel over-prepared after lugging your big burly boots half way around the world only to fish from a skiff most of the trip. Perhaps you’ve brought your little flats booties and found yourself on foot all day; fingers crossed that another piece of coral isn’t going to pierce the flimsy sole and into the bottom of your foot (true story). For me, the River Salt II bridges that gap.

The non-marking Vibram "Megagrip" sole is sticky on boat decks as well as supportive on coral & sand. Oh, and TOUGH. No surpises are going to poke through these, which allows me to focus on looking for fish while moving swiftly over coral, rock, sand, turtlegrass or whatever it is without worrying about each step. The cordura upper is super durable but also lightweight and quick drying; perfect for going in to the duffel bag there and back. My favorite feature, though, is the fast-action lacing system. A lot of the time, we’re fishing from a boat and the need to jump out and chase down a fish or take a photo can happen quickly. The lace toggle allows you to quickly tighten the boots and with the velcro ankle strap pulled over you’re ready to go in a moment’s notice. No more fumbling around when there’s a school of tailing permit incoming and your guide yells at you to get ready and out of the boat; NOW!

* Proof that I can get these boots off the floor of a panga and on to my feet quickly enough to chase down a school of permit.

Fresh:

I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to wet wade so early in the season but with our lackluster winter and early onset summer, the opportunity for a warm evening on the local river looking for fish up on Caddis presented the perfect chance to throw on the new kicks and go for a long walk. With Patagonia/Fitwell’s first collaborative boot, the Forra, being our most successful boot of all time the bar is set pretty high for a freshwater boot. Still I find myself impressed, and especially so on a river well known for being slick.

Much like the Forra, the River Salt is more akin to an actual hiking boot which I love; after all that’s mostly what we’re doing out there. The non-marking Vibram Megagrip sole was thoughtless on the trail in, and the rubber compound actually blew me away with its grip on the slick, bowling-ball-rocks that encompass this ditch. The soles are also stud-compatible if you want that little bit of extra grab. The quick-lace toggle is super easy and tucks in to a pouch under the velcro ankle strap making it an easy on and off and keeping everything clean from line snags and debris. Unlike other quick-lace systems, these boots can also take a standard shoe lace (included) so if you bust one in the field, you aren't SOL. For me these are perfect for the after work evening-sesh or when you want to hop out of the dory and put the stalk on a fish. 

All in all, these boots have earned their keep and I’m looking forward to more days in them to come. These are boots that are easy to travel with and inspire confidence in the salt while also remaining super useful when I’m back on the home water for the rest of the year. Versatility rules, and the Patagonia River Salt Boots II checks all of the boxes.

Pair with the Patagonia Tropic Comfort Sun Tights, Hydropeak Volley Shorts and Yulex Wading Socks for the ultimate wet wading kit!

We've already seen a ton of interest in these boots so give us a call or stop by to get your name on a pair! If you need help building out the rest of your saltwater travel kit, check out our full Saltwater Gear Guide HERE!