Hodgman Mackenzie Cleat Chest Bootfoot Fishing/Hunting Waders

Nice waders for the price. Worn everyday on a 4 day fishing trip. Stayed dry and quality held up. My son is 5’ and weighs 95lbs. Only wish they had felt bottoms, but he never complained about traction. Would recommend.

Good fit, well made, good value for the money.

I tried these instead of my usual brand as I needed them on short notice and my usual brand was backordered. They were slightly less expensive and looked comparable. The first thing I noticed was that the boot was thinner with little cushioning or arch support and somewhat uncomfortable.I use my waders for cold water wade fishing. I actually got about 14 trips in the water before I got my first significant leak, a separation of the vinyl just above the boot seam. I think they had minor leaks around the boot seams prior to that. My pants and wading socks were always damp in that area, but as you know moisture from sweating or condensation in these types of waders is common so I cannot say for sure if the dampness was due to leakage.I patched that hole successfully, then had another form in the other boot in the same area at the boot seam. I think I have a few tiny pin holes in various places as well from encounters with briars because now my upper legs are staying wet. Some of the areas I traverse to and from my wade in spots are very brushy and in Oklahoma there are lots of briars. I am always careful around the briars, but these are thinner than my previous waders and seem more susceptible to damage. Will patch the new hole that is clearly visible and try again, but nothing ruins a fishing trip like hiking 2 miles into a great spot and having 35 degree water seeping into your boot in 30 degree weather. Going back to my old brand. The vinyl separations are not large, about the size of a pencil lead, but that is plenty big enough to end up with soaking wet socks after 30 minutes in the water.Purchased Sept 20, 2020, replacing Feb. 5, 2021. Worn about 20 times total.

Cheap and they last. Soles are fairly comfortable.

Was a gift for my dad. It fit him good. So far so good with no leaking. Good material.

I like them. I've used them 6 times now and no leaks. As it gets warmer out condensation does appear on the inside. No problem with that on cold days.

Amazing waders. Un beatable price. This is my first pair of waders. I have used them in a swamp and river. They got me through some really nasty stuff(chest deep swamp) with lots of sharp sticks and misc. Other nastyness. I even had to slide accross a tree trunk between my legs for 10 meters. They got me back to my car dry! ( from swamp and rivir anyway).I see alot of people complaining about leaks...unless they are torn i dont see them leaking, especially at the boot joint( they have an ugly by strong weld)They waders do collect condensation easily and at first i thought mine where leaking at tge boot joint. Turned out to be condensatio and sweat fro the waders not being breathable (who cares). It felt like water coming in but it was my bare skin feeling the cold water through the wader material, boot transfers cold less, so this fools you into thinking they are leaking. It was a hot day 21c and water was cold less than 10c. This caused sweat and condensation to collect in the waders and give the impression of a leak

A bargain indeed. I hope that Hodgman does not read this review. The quality for the price is remarkable. There are no frills, but you will stay dry for between two and three years depending on usage. This is my third pair of Hodgman waders and I have had many breathable pairs, and they wear out about as quickly as the non breathable. The difference is that the cost of replacement for breathable waders is 10 times more. You might not like these waders if you sweat a lot and fish mostly in warm weather. The boots are comfortable but are not rugged which I mention in case you do a lot of walking in rocky areas, but that applies only if you do all of your wading in rugged conditions. I would say that the boots run just a little small. My shoe size is 10 and 11 in the waders is good. A word of caution: I think that all wader manufacturers figure that moving from 11 to 12 means a much bigger man, and so if you are ordinarily wear a size 10 and order a 12, the waders will keep you chin dry.

I bought this to use in my large backyard pond. I'm always needing to fish things out of the middle and I hate to walk into the gross water in my bare legs. These waders fit the bill perfectly. They keep me completely dry. As long as I have pants on underneath, my legs do not get cold. But I tried wearing them with shorts once and my calves were quite chilly (Mid March). The boots do a pretty good job of walking on the slippery rocks too. I'm glad I didn't pay a lot more for a fancier set because I think these work just fine.My only complaint is that I think they are sized a bit large. I'm a woman with a size 8.5 shoe, 5'5ft. My husband who has almost the exact same size foot is me wears a size 8 men's shoe. So I ordered the size 7/8, but they're extremely large on me. Probably closer to a size 9/10 men's. I also have the straps cinched down as far as they will go in they're still quite loose on me. Because the aren't meet for women, I should not knock them down for that, but I thought I was making adjustments for my size and they're still enormous.

I'm not a fly fisherman, I fish hard baits more or less exclusively -- crankbaits, spinners, spoons and the like. My basic philosophy of fishing is you can't catch fish unless you put the bait where the fish is. I usually fish from a canoe, but often I don't feel like bothering with the boat. Then I like to work my way along the shore of the pond or stream, hitting all the "fishy" looking spots. And when you do that, sometimes there's no substitute for getting right into the water, away from branches that will interfere with your cast, or to work a spot you can't quite reach from shore. These waders will get you to where you need to be to catch fish.A few words of common sense. First, if you don't swim, wading isn't for you, especially in streams. Lakes can often have mucky, quicksand like bottoms that will trap your feet. Don't panic, just carefully work your feet free, alternating each foot until you can walk again. If you trip (or rather WHEN you trip) these can fill up with water, so some kind of belt to cinch them in will slow that enough that you won't' be forced to bail out. A military surplus webbing belt works nicely, and you can use ammo pouches for tackle. I also made a duct tape sheath which holds a pair of kitchen sheers for cutting line and a pair of forceps for removing hooks; it's very handy. A magnet inside the duct tape sheath keeps the tools from falling out. The belt should have a quick release buckle, just in case you do have to bail out in a hurry. Also for that reason don't try to shove shoes into the boots either, even though it's tempting. The boots are pretty lightweight and don't really give you enough support if you have a long hike into your fishing spot.Second, if you do wade out, remember you're stalking your prey. Don't splash around because you'll scare the fish away, they're very sensitive to vibrations in the water. Like Elmer Fudd says, be vewy kwiet. When you get to your spot give the fish a minute to get used to you, then work your targets without any unnecessary motion or sound. Also remember also that fish can see you, so drab clothing might be a good idea. I've had fish follow my bait practically to where I'm standing, only to catch a glimpse of the bright yellow raincoat I was wearing and run away.Overall I'm pleased with this purchase, and have caught many fish in spots that would have been tricky to fish without waders. But you should have realistic expectations. At this price you aren't getting the kind of durability and quality you'd demand if you were a pro guide. This is more for the weekend warrior types, and you have to use a little care because they won't stand up to thoughtless treatment. I put a hole in mine the third time I used them clambering over a down tree -- which is kind of the point of something like this: to get to where the fish are! Fortunately it was quickly mended with a bicycle tire patch kit, and now they're good as new.I'd say if you are *thinking* about getting a pair of waders, but aren't sure you want to spend the money, these are just the thing. Just be careful, because they aren't bullet proof by a long shot. These are a great value, and they *will* help you catch more fish. I've probably paid for mine in the course of a season in lures I've been able to free from underwater snags by wading out where I can pull from a slightly different angle.If you definitely know you want to get a pair of waders, expect to give them really heavy use, and don't mind spending a lot of money, then invest in a more expensive but durable pair of waders. But that'll cost you a pretty penny.