I was excited to find such a lightweight pair of chest waders, designed for technical river wading and pontoon boating with fins. They were already invasive species ready (no felt soles, laces etc.). I'd wet waded in EVA sandals lots and know that they have great grip on stream bottoms and assumed the same about these EVA boots. Although the wader seemed to be built right, one flaw in design made me send them back. The boots would not fit my beefy calves! I got them on with some effort on but they were so tight as to hurt and make me immediately want them off and getting them off was a real chore. They should be fine for those with smaller calves but a "Stout" model needs to be girthy everywhere, not just in the chest. I thought of trying a size up but I had already gone a size up for winter sock wearing and the feet were plenty roomy, even for my wide feet, just not the calves. Designers need to keep in mind that small guys can fit into big waders but big anglers cannot fit into small dimensions. More room is needed for a universal fit. PS-Don't expect durability like top end waders but should be good for the price.