Whenever a press kit includes a photo of a guy hurtling a barbed wire fence, we take notice—especially when the product is meant to be in the water. Orvis is using this image to hammer home their latest tech innovation: the “SonicSeam.” Though it sounds like something you’d get from exposure to gamma radiation, the seams on the new Silver Sonic Guide Waders ($379) have been sonically sealed, a technique that Orvis claims to eliminate 1000s of stitch holes and make the need for heavily-abrasive seams obsolete. That tech, paired with a new heavyweight main body fabric, makes them up to 300 percent more abrasion resistant and 40 percent more puncture resistant than Orvis’ Silver Sonic Convertible Tops. The new waders come with a robust suspension system, 3.5mm neoprene booties, a flip-out chest pocket with an integrated tool dock, and a nice, fleece-lined central hand-warming pocket. We suspect these armor-like waders wouldn’t survive a targeted stab with a fillet knife, but for most river wanderers, this advance should be welcome news.
-Nathan Borchelt
