"They'll revolutionize duck hunting," predicts Frank Ruth, Kelso, Wash., of his amazing new mud-walking shoes.

"People who've tried them think they also might find favor with irrigation farmers, or with farmers who have to contend with flooded fields or muddy feedlots."

Ruth's Mud Lucks are made from pneumatic inner tubes about the size found on a big wheelbarrow. They're reinforced with two layers of nylon and measure 10 by 14 in. and weigh less than 4 lbs. each. They can be worn with most types of regular footwear, such as tennis shoes or knee-high rubber boots, and there is no right or left foot to worry about. Strapped to the tube is a wooden plat-form with adjustable fittings that adjust to any foot size.

"The tubes create a leveling action in that they distribute air pressure evenly at all times," explains Ruth. "In muddy shallows or marshland, there's no need to send a bird dog after fallen ducks. The hunter can walk or run over and pick them up himself."

Ruth cautions, however, that while you can buoyantly traipse over hip-deep mud and marshland with Mud Lucks, they're not for walking on deeper water: "The inflated tubes could suddenly head for the surface, turning the wearer upside down. My son flipped upside down in a pool of water because of the bouyancy of the boots and only saved himself by reaching up to remove them. We now equip them with, quick release straps," Ruth points out.