As long as they keep you dry!

with hip waders your are only one slip from being wet. i prefer the margin for error my light weight chest waders provide. also, there are darn few options for hip waders that can be used with wading boots and i wouldn't wade without felt soles.

All you have to do is miss judge the depth or bend over to pick something up and you might as well go home, cause you are going to get wet.

I considered a pair of hip waders - there's a trout creek across the lot from my office - but one slip and it's sitz bottom in the wet grass or mud. So, went with wader pants instead. I can only imagine women in shorts and hip boots.

Oh yeah... I gotta see that.

I had a dislike of hip boots until I discovered the NEOS Hippers, Orvis had a run of them briefly last year, 30" hip boots that go over your existing boot or shoe. I fell in love with these as they roll up into the size of a pair of sneakers in my pack and I can walk in, unroll them, slip them over my shoes and pants without having to play with the cuff of the pant or my socks, just velcro them to the belt, clip the buckle over the shoe, and wade out into the stream. I can also wear them from the truck to the fishing hole, they're lightweight, and they dry quickly. The downfall is they don't have the insulation of the rubber hip boots of old, or the ruggedness of the old waders, but they are light, and I can use them without feeling like I'm on the moon or wearing 20 layers of clothes. I just wish they would make a full wader set, then you could hike in, put the wader on without removing your clothes or shoes, fish, then when done, remove them, roll them up and put them in the pack in the smallest of places.

I can't wait to get another set of those Neos for a spare set for the camper. (I carry 2 pairs in the truck, 1 for me and 1 for a guest)

In the summer I prefer to wet wade, except in one local lake that has an itching algae. Otherwise, the waders come on when the air temp gets close to the water temp.

Never owned a pair of "Hippers", just would rather spend the extra 30 bucks on a cheap pair of neapriene bootfoots, but Eventuly I am going to get a pair of Breathable chest waders (Stockingfoot) to fish in.
The problem with the ones I have are numerous, small boots (2 sizes to be exact, not too comfortable) pached like 10 times, and there too warm, even in the winter. The reason for stockingfoot is so I don't have to get a new set of waiders every time my foot goes up a size, and they are better fir the rivers I fish (Boot gets stuck, you can pull it off, not have to cut out of them, lost a few good waders doing this, but you're life can't be replaced, waders can.) Alex (Ap)

Deeter,
I've got some pretty goods photos of "lovely women" in hippers that might interest you but that might get a little ugly. I say since we guys already have Brook give the girls something to look at. I say the contest should be "Men in Waders Gone Wild".

i have hip boots its hard to find chest waders that fit me and also i cant afford much

Insulated Hodgman neopreme chest waders. Unbeatable.

to hunt_fish_sleep- how can you fish in those in 90 degree weather?? to kolbster-glad to hear it. that means you will only be fishing about four months a year and i'll fish the river the other eight months.