Simms puts best foot forward to 2023

With a longstanding history and reputation for delivering the most performance-driven, reliable, fishing-focused gear on the planet – each year, Bozeman-based Simms Fishing Products faces a recurring self-imposed challenge – raising the industry bar they continually set season after season, year after year.

Thirty years ago, Simms introduced the first ever waterproof/breathable wader – after its release, everything changed. Not only did this wader launch Simms on its current trajectory, it also set a new standard for the entire fishing industry. It’s also a wader that’s served as a baseline that Simms has been innovating against ever since.

For Simms, though, innovation doesn’t begin and end with waders. Now that 2022 has come and gone, its spring 2023 collection has arrived and, true to form, game-changing innovations can be found across all categories.

 

Wading on

The popular Freestone and Tributary wader collections have been reimagined and are both prime examples of Simms utilising innovations found in other award-winning models such as G3 and G4.

Built with an incredibly durable, waterproof/breathable four-layer Toray Quadralam fabric package, the men’s, women’s and Freestone pant offer more comfort, mobility and performance than ever before. Simms has incorporated its patented front and back leg seams for enhanced range of motion and have also eliminated the previous self-fabric, gathered elastic bottom hem in exchange for built-in neoprene gravel guards.

For anglers just getting into fly fishing, the all-new Tributary collection (men’s, women‘s and kids’) provides waterproof/breathability in a feature-rich wader equipped with tons of Simms DNA. Built with a four-layer lower and a three-layer upper, the Tributaries come with a reach-through fleece lined hand warming pocket, zippered top stash pocket, built-in Tippet Tender pockets and built-in gravel guards.

Protection factor

Another noteworthy aspect of Simms’ spring 2023 product collection is just how many new and exciting pieces of sun protective gear it is bringing to market.

For many years, SolarFlex has become the norm for anglers fishing in hot, humid environments where sun protection is a must. The latest SolarFlex collection utilises the highest-performing solar protective knit fabric that’s smooth to the touch, stretches for comfort, dries fast and keeps anglers odour free with HeiQ Fresh and HeiQ stain away technology.

Fan favourites such as the men’s and women’s SolarFlex Crew, SolarFlex and Bugstopper Hoodies use this new upgraded fabric but there are also some additions to the family such as the SolarFlex Wind Hoody and Guide Hoody, that anglers can add to their UPF50 arsenal.

On the outerwear front, the men’s and women’s Challenger Jacket and Bib have also been retooled for enhanced comfort and performance. The latest iteration of both Challenger Suits are now constructed from a recycled polyester two-layer Toray fabric for all-day waterproof/breathable protection.

Equipped with reflective logos for safety, both feature stashable and adjustable storm hoods, adjustable cuffs to lock water out, and a pocket array that allows ample on-body storage. In addition, the chest pockets include a built-in sunglass chamois and the bibs incorporate rugged overlays in high abrasion zones for unmatched durability.

 

Stepping out

Of all of the innovations for spring 2023, the most significant revolution lands in the footwear category – the G4 PowerLock Boot.

While G4 has been part of the Simms family for many years, it’s not a badge that gets put on just anything. Instead, G4 is reserved for its most rugged, durable and innovative offerings.

Designed from the ground up, the G4 PowerLock Boot offers the perfect balance of durability, weight, grip, support, and stability. Featuring a Vibram Idrogrip outsole for slip-resistance, dual-density EVA midsole for comfort, and an integrated TPU heal clip and moulded heal cap for support and stability, the boot itself is constructed from highly abrasion resistant textile, scratch rubber, and synthetic rubber.

In order to source a better cleat retention system that also allowed for easy removal and replaceability, Simms leaned into a technology found in the golf and rugby cleat industry.

The PowerLock system allows anglers to quickly and easily remove and/or replace aluminium or TPR cleats (both of which come with the boot) on the spot. The disc-shaped soft aluminium cleats offer improved bite and 360 degrees of stability while the spider-like TPR cleats provide a grippy option that won’t scratch when worn in a drift boat.

All in all, the G4 PowerLock Boot has undergone more field testing than any other Simms boot to date. To be exact, these boots have over 8,500 hours of in-field testing, spanning over 1,000 miles. Based on this extensive testing, the cleat performance and retention results have proven that the PowerLock system is not only the most innovative cleat system the fishing world has ever seen, it’s also unbelievably reliable.

Innovation is far from a new concept for Simms – it has been doing just that for the past 30 years. In terms of spring 2023, these are only a few standouts amongst an amazingly innovative line.

www.simmsfishing.co

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