I recently went through this exact same dilemma… what brand of waders should I buy as my first pair. I had already decided on stocking foot so the real decision was brand. I found myself in the Chicago suburbs for a week on business, so I spent the evenings visiting stores. My first stop was Orvis, I was impressed with what they had to offer, but could not justify the price. Next stops were Cabella’s and Bass Pro Shops. While these stores did not carry the full line of waders, I was not impressed with what I saw. After doing the mental math I decided that I would be better off buying a quality wader on sale then buy entry level waders and upgrade. I ended up with Orvis Pro-guide 3 waders, and what I like about them is a stocking foot that matches my shoe size with heavy socks, and a wader that fits my body style. If you have the opportunity shop for waders in persons and not in a catalog do so. There is a lot to be said for touching the merchandise.