Stockingfoot
Waders that end in a snug neoprene sock rather than an attached boot. You wear separate wading boots over them.
The neoprene bootie is sized to your foot and gives no support or grip on its own. Everything structural comes from the wading boot you put on over it, which is why stockingfoot waders and wading boots are sold separately and bought together.
The payoff is fit and traction. A proper boot laces around your ankle and carries a purpose-built sole, so you get real support on uneven riverbed and real grip on wet rock. That is a completely different experience from a loose attached boot.
It also means the two parts wear out independently, and you can replace either one. Booties usually outlast boots, so most people buy two or three pairs of boots over the life of one pair of waders.
Never wade in the bootie alone. The neoprene is thin, it has no sole worth the name, and a sharp rock through it ends both the trip and the waders.
Order wading boots a full size up from your shoe size. The neoprene bootie takes up more room than you expect.
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Stockingfoot is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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