Nevermind

If you were not paying attention you may have missed the news that Simms is getting back in to the felt soled wading shoe biz. Other than Chandler and Barton, who to their credit called it like it is, the industry press just parroted the return to felt announcement without much comment. Not surprising considering they were complicit, along with TU, in spinning the Simms marketing hype surrounding the decision to walk away from felt and the performance of the product.

Not only did the industry parrot the talking points coming out of Bozeman, they also equated rubber soled wading shoes with the second coming of David Brower. There are better ways to be a good environmental company other than putting petroleum based soles on wading shoes? If you were really committed to being an environmental company you would be using organic cotton and recycled polyester in your ever expanding apparel collection. If dropping felt was truly the right thing to do foe the planet why not stick to the program despite the continued demand for felt in the market? Turns out it was all just about the bottom line, nothing more.

I'll give Simms and the whole rubber sole push props for helping highlight the problem of invasive species but other companies have been committed to the issue since 2004 and the industry has ignored them.

Fly Fishers Serving as Transports for Noxious Little Invaders

The N.Y. Times wades in on invasives and the felt vs rubber story.

LINK

Alaka Bans Felt Sole

The Alaska Board of Fisheries has adopted a statewide ban on felt sole wading shoes beginning January 1, 2012.

Ted Williams has posted the TU press release applauding the move.

Because the ban is now statewide the Southeast Alaska ban on felt has been delayed until 2012 to coincide with the statewide measure.

Maybe the last sentence of TU the press release should me amended?

Between now and when the statewide prohibition on felt sole takes effect, TU urges anglers to always inspect, clean and dry their all fishing gear as a way to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Gives me the impression that once the ban takes effect there is no need to clean dry and inspect.