Some points after spending a few hundred days in Korkers over the years and many times that in waders and boots while guiding anglers or duck hunting.
-You'll either need to buy two pairs of boots, one for fishing and one for hunting, or a pair of Korkers and multiple soles. Rubber soles don't do well on river rocks, felt soles don't do well in duck mud. Some or most proprietary "sticky" rubber soles for wading rivers, like the Kling-On soles from Korkers, are better in mud than felt is, but the tread pattern is very shallow and doesn't have nearly as much purchase as a true lug sole.
-You're gonna get X number of days out of a pair of boots, so buying one pair to do both doesn't necessarily save you money in the long run. You either wear out one pair every two years, or two pairs every four years, for example. This math may change depending on how many days you spend hunting vs fishing.
-The Korkers boots are some of the most comfortable that I've ever worn. They fit MY FEET exceptionally well, but that doesn't mean they'll fit yours. They are fairly durable, good but not bombproof, there are tougher boots out there but you'll pay more. I haven't had a new pair in three or four years so I can't speak for their most current offerings.
-You'll probably lose some Korkers soles to swamp and marsh mud unless you're exceptionally careful or always hunt firm bottomed bodies of water. When I was hunting hard in Korkers I used to spend 15-20 days a year hunting a tidally influenced area with exceptionally mucky mud. I lost a sole every 10 trips or so. I did learn that if you turn your boot a few degrees out or in before you lift your foot it will break the seal with the mud bottom and you're less likely to lose soles, but I didn't want to do that with every step.
So, where does that leave it? I don't have a great answer, and I'm still trying to find the perfect system myself. Here are some options:
-Get a pair of felt soled boots of your choice for wading rivers and screw some carbide studs in them for even better grip on slippery rocks. Then buy a pair of cheap hiking boots, two sizes and one width up from your normal shoe size for duck hunting. This is what I do currently. $40 dollar Amazon hiking boots in 14 wide (EE). I wear a 12 normal width (D) in running shoes.
-Get a pair of sticky rubber boots and screw in carbide spikes. This setup can do double duty for fishing and duck hunting, though it's a compromise on traction in both environments.
-Get a pair of Korkers and buy yourself a set of extra Vibram Trek soles. That's the deepest lug they offer. For extra security thread a piece of para cord through the hole in the rear tab of the soles, then tie the other end to the pull tab on the boot. If a sole does pop out while walking it will still be hanging off your boot and you can re-attach it.
I do not know why some company doesn't make a durable leather wading boot with a deep lug sole. The original Simms guide boot with a heavy lug would be perfect. Until then...
Edit: I forgot to mention that I agree with
@Ferrulewax in his assessment of the BOA system on wading boots. They are mildly convenient until they're VERY inconvenient. When they fail in the field it's a giant pain to fix. Laced boots only require a knot or an extra pair of laces or some paracord or some heavy mono and you're back in business.
