Simms Freestone Waders have been a favorite of anglers for two decades. Now, the Freestone receives a complete ground-up redesign — a project that’s been in the works for over two years.
Bozeman, Mont. (March 14, 2023) – In early January of this year, Simms Fishing Products, the preeminent manufacturer of waders, outerwear, footwear, and technical apparel in fishing, launched the all-new Spring 2023 product collection. Across the board, the Spring 2023 line reaffirms the reputation of delivering angler-driven, technical fishing gear that Simms has cultivated over the past 30 years. Coinciding with the arrival of the Spring season, Simms is proud to announce the official launch of their all-new Freestone Collection waders.
Available in Men’s, Women’s, and Men’s Pant, all Freestone waders have gone through a 2-year development cycle and are available now via Simms’ vast retail network and also at www.simmsfishing.com. Constructed from a durable, waterproof/breathable 4-layer Toray Quadralam fabric package, the new Freestones feature a fleece-line, reach-through chest pocket, zippered stretch-woven stash pocket, and a built-in Tippet Tender pocket to allow anglers ample on-body storage for small essentials. Also equipped with Simms’ patented front and back leg seams and stretch elastic suspenders with opposing buckles that allow for a waist-high conversion on hot days. Built-in neoprene gravel guards, anglers can reap the rewards of comfort and a completely unhindered range of motion.
“We are really proud of what we’ve accomplished with the new collection of Freestone waders,” says Simms Senior Product Line Manager Matt Carara. “Since they were first introduced, Freestones have come a long way – and each variation has drastically improved. From start to finish, the current iteration took about two years of design and development, but in reality, we’ve been fine-tuning, tweaking, and perfecting Freestone waders for 15+ years. In my mind, the Freestones we launched this month are a direct and accurate reflection of all of that time and effort.”
When first introduced in 2003, Freestone provided anglers with fishy features and waterproof/breathability in an accessible package. Through the years, Freestone has significantly progressed, and while the latest iteration is still a fantastic choice for newbies — it can now easily hold its own when put to the test by veteran anglers alike.
In order to accomplish this, Simms aimed to incorporate trickle-down technology from longstanding best sellers such as G3. The first and one of the most important steps in developing the new Freestone collection was for Simms to incorporate their G3 fit block on both the Men’s and Women’s Freestones (respectively). This improved fit not only enhances mobility and comfort — by eliminating bunching, creasing, and abrasion areas, but it also dramatically increases the longevity of the wader itself.
Another new development that bolsters comfort, mobility, and durability even further is the incorporation of their patented front and back leg seams. While Simms has utilized front and back leg seams for many years in wader styles such as G3 and G4, this is the first time this innovation has found its way into the Freestone collection.
After dialing in the beloved mobility and fit found in G3, the next priority to address was the gravel guard. While its predecessor utilized a self-fabric gravel guard, which is essentially a continuation of the lower portion of the wader’s fabric, the new Men’s and Women’s Freestone feature a built-in neoprene gravel guard/stockingfoot construction. Not only is this a major upgrade towards comfort, performance, and durability — aesthetically, it gives the wader that iconic and unmistakable Simms look.
From the fit and function to the look and feel, the new Freestone Stockingfoot collection offers the technical performance and durability Simms waders have come to be known for and is further proof small details make the biggest differences.
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About Simms Fishing Products: Established in 1980, Simms is the preeminent manufacturer of waders, outerwear, and technical fishing apparel and accessories. The entire line of Simms gear is available at specialty and large format retailers across North America and at www.simmsfishing.com.
