I am in the same boat as you, and am going to try these out. Looks like you can use them without wading socks, and they keep the rocks and sand out. Also looks like The Fishin Hole has them in stock and are a decent price. Been looking for something like these for wet wading for 20 years lol. Worth a try I think!
https://www.hodgman.com/hodgman-wade...5.html#start=5