I've only done two trips and neither time was really happy with what I decided when it came to shoes. The first trip, I wore my regular hiking boots and tried to stay out of the water, that didnt work and I had wet feet the whole time. The second trip I wore muck boots that kept my feet dry, but were not good for the portages or walking around camp. What do most people do?

Knee high neoprene boots when on the water. Switch into dry boots when at a portage or in camp. Has not been a problem so far.

I'm not super happy with my camp shoes, which are Marmot Moab slip-ons. They did the job but were heavy and didn't fit right.

For EVERYTHING ELSE, I wear my beloved Astral TR1 Mesh trail runners. They are light, well-ventilated, and they have amazing grip. The Astral shoe brand is all about grip. Take a look at their outsole and tell me it doesn't look grippy as all get-out. I wore them for 2 trips this year and had zero issues at any landings or portages. There were some slippery landings with mucky rocks and I did slip a few times, but I was always aware that the rocks were mucky and was careful about my footing so I never fell or hurt myself. On steep flat rock faces during portages, I staggered my steps ("galloped" down) and had no issues with slippage. They also have a nice spring/bounce to them with good support which is important if you're walking a lot in them. I took them on a 3 day hiking trip in the SHT and my feet were pretty OK by the end of the trip!

The shoes dry out quick in the sun with the insoles pulled halfway out; on overcast 65-75F days, they took about 12-16 hours to dry out (which is not great, I am aware). Still better than my friend's pair of Danner boots that took 3 full days to dry even with 2 days of direct sunlight. He never wanted to put those things on. I happily put my Astrals back on. If they were still wet when I put them on, my feet warmed them up within 15 minutes and I forgot they were even wet. Plus I'd be wetfooting it within an hour of pushing off from the site anyway so I never cared if they were still a bit damp.

I HIGHLY recommend taking a look at Astral shoes. I don't think they sell them in retail stores, but their return policy is awesome. Ask customer service to send you 2 pairs and a return label if you're not sure about sizing. They offered this to me and I couldn't have been happier. I will definitely be buying another pair, likely before my current pair wear out. Note that though they do break down their shoes into trail, water, casual, etc, a lot of their shoes work for wetfooting (like the Merges and Treks) too. And before anyone asks, I'm not affiliated with them in any way, I just love these shoes.

Astral Designs Footwear

Chaco sandals are awesome! Until they aren't... then they really suck. Seems like I try something different each trip.

If they still made them, I'd be wearing Teva Dozer 2s on every warm weather trip. I had a pair of Dozer 3s but they didn't outlive the Dozer 2s which I still have 10+ years later. I've gone thru a couple pairs of Keen Newport H2s and had mixed results. Typically the neoprene would suffer a stitching failure around the strap that comes up from the sole and the sandal would begin to fall apart. Once I had the strap pull clean out. My current sandal is a Keen Rialto and so far they seem to be holding up better. I just wish Keen water sandals had a more aggressive sole.

In recent years I found out that Teva is putting the old Dozer 2 sole on a new sandal, not sure what it's name is.

For in camp, I will bring whatever is my current favorite pair of hikers or cross trainers. I prefer to have a shoe that snugly fits and protects my foot.

Typically I will bring 3-4 pairs of socks - 1 pair which is today's wet, 1 pair which is yesterday's wet, 1 pair which is my "holy never gets wet use in camp only" set, and perhaps a backup pair or a pair for sleeping in at night.
Socks are either merino, synthetic, or a merino/synthetic blend.

mirth: "I'd be wearing Teva Dozer 2s on every warm weather trip."

Blisters with these? I love wearing sandals... My feet sweat... a lot... so even if I were drying foot, I'd have wet feet. I'd opt for only sandals- but day 4 is typically a bear for me in them.

I like the TR1 Treks. They are all I wear all day and then I put dry socks on to sleep in.

Link is to my review for the fairly recent Chota Hybrid review.

Muck boots if it is cold, Chaco sandals if it is warm.

Thanks flynn and amarillojim for the heads up on the Astrals. Looks like they'd do the task well for wet-footing and dry much quicker than the Merrell Moab or Oboz I've been using.

I suggest carrying a comfortable pair of camp shoes that have decent traction and are comfortable to wear. Sandals and water shoes fail to offer mosquito protection which is often a deal breaker.

THEGrandRapids: "

mirth: "I'd be wearing Teva Dozer 2s on every warm weather trip."

Blisters with these? I love wearing sandals... My feet sweat... a lot... so even if I were drying foot, I'd have wet feet. I'd opt for only sandals- but day 4 is typically a bear for me in them. "

Not the D2s, but yes initially with the D3s I got a blister but that was due to not wearing socks.

I'm a socks & sandals kind of guy. If not, because of how my feet sweat they will pick up dirt and cause my feet to reek. Happy, dry feet and no stank since I started wearing socks!

Low profile ankle socks when I'm going out in public with the family, and regular length Smartwools or similar in the bush.

Knee high neoprene boots when on the water. Switch into dry shoes when at camp.

Always liked Salomon Amphibians and still have/use two pairs of well broken in shoes. With colder water I use heavy wool socks. In camp old running shoes. In very early spring or late fall I sometimes use knockoff muck boots but often find them to be too hot.

Chota Quetico Trekkers but there are now newer models. I use those traveling and they are great for wet footing and portaging. In camp, I wear light weight Sanuk slip on shoes. I also take a pair of Keen sandals for swimming and backups for portaging. I wear those on some day trips.

Im with andym. Chota Caneyforks all day travelling, a pair ow walking shoes in camp. I put up clothes line and change into dry footware and gang wet stuff before setting up camp. Usually all is dry by morning.

If it's early or late when the water is cold, I'll wear my Chota hippies inside some OTB boots to keep my feet dry/warm. The boots never really dry but it doesn't matter when my feet are inside neoprene. My wife has NRS Boundary Shoes that are neoprene and calf high for cold water.

If it's summer or warm water, I've got some Merrill mesh water shoe type things I like. Then I always have an old pair of tennis shoes for camp that are comfy and dry. My wife has Chaco sandals for warm water.

Typically we just walk on water. Feet stay dry, etc.... Seriously, the best combination we have found is chota wading socks and wading boots ( we prefer Patagonia) the wading boots have waaaayyyy better traction and ankle support on portages, the wading socks can be rolled down so they are cooler in the canoe and rolled up at portage landings so your feet stay dry. Best of all worlds IMO. Around camp we wear crocs. Cheap, durable, lightweight, pack easy, toe protection impervious to water, float easy on/off, etc...... Good luck.

If I will be in a tandem where I'm only sitting I like knee high Lacrosse neoprene boots. They are to big and stiff to use for kneeling though. Would like to try Chota trekkers and tundra hippies.

Simple pair of quality field boots, and light wool socks from Wigwam. Fairly water proof till I wade over the tops, dry quickly as do the socks, comfortable and long lasting if cared for properly. This pair is my oldest custom ordered pair and first full wet-foot submergence was 1998, I do wet-foot in all seasons. They look just as shown this morning clearing some fresh snow from my truck.
Take care of your boots and they take care of your feet.

butthead

Last year I wore Rocky SV2 boots when paddling and portaging. They drain really well and are quite well made. This year I will be using Merrill Moab mid hikers but may wear ankle compression sleeves as well. My ankles are not very sturdy and I take extra precautions in the BWCA.

Wet foot with Keen Voyagers and bring light weight running shoes for camp in warm weather. The Voyagers dry almost completely on their own by the next morning. Cool weather I dry foot with Muck Wetlands. I've done mile long portages with them with no issues

Merrell Moab Mids for paddle/portage. Keen sandals in camp with good wool socks for warmth and bug protection.

Chacos for the past two trips so far.

vasque hikers, neo- overshoes over them if wet and excess mud, slip on's at camp.
i stopped wet-footing about ten years ago and never looked back. my feet and socks and boots are always dry.

Chota Caney Fork boots with Chota socks inside for travelling. Some sort of trail runner in camp.

In the warm season, Astral Loyaks when out on the water/portage.
In camp, either the same Loyaks still or a switch to a different Astral shoe.
Colder season, my last ones wore out, but I'll probably be rolling with Muck boots.

May and October I wear Muck boots. I've done mile long portages without any problems. I actually like them for around camp... I just roll the neoprene down and they slip on/off easily. I also roll them down while paddling. I've considered getting the Chota Hippies for cold water trips, but have held off spending the money when I have something already that works. Maybe when it's time to replace the Mucks.

June - Sept. I wear Keen Arroyo 2 w/ smartwool socks. Good tread and they dry fairly fast. Camp shoes are a pair of Columbia water tennis shoes (similar to Salomon Tech Amphibians) because they are light weight and would work as a backup portaging shoe if I blew a tire during the trip.

mud, of course.

I wear cheapish hiking boots that only get worn on canoe trips.

I get them wet, and they stay wet all trip. Only bugs me in the morning when I put them on or if it's cold enough that they freeze.

Only been up in the summer so far and have wet-footed with Keen Newport Hydros. Also have a pair of old sneaks & flip-flops for the campsite.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Quetico Trekkers while traveling. Wet foot. It's just simpler.
Dry wool socks and Keen Arroyo IIs in camp.

Ive got a pair of Salomon Evasion Cabrio Outdoor Sandal its a bit of a shoe sandal hybrid and i really like them. I dont have ankle issues so i dont need the extra support boots give, i wear a pair of wool socks and im good to go.

I wear hiking boots that go just over the ankle when traveling, I got them from sierra Nevada. At camp I wear crocks. I usually hate the things, but they are incredibly light and I can slip them on and off quickly for getting in and out of the tent. That way less mosquitos make it into the tent. They also work great in the water and don't stay wet.

Boots: Vasque Saga Gtx and without a doubt worth every penny. Awesome ankle support and effortless movement on the rough terrain.

Backups for the mud pit portages: Tingley Ultralights. I wore these for multiple portages and they grip like goats feet but offer little to no ankle support. Weigh around a pound.

Driftless: "Muck boots if it is cold, Chaco sandals if it is warm."

^^^^

Sometimes both. Have also brought Crocs for around camp (light although bulky). I am more confident/comfortable in Chacos than most others. Get the ones without the big toe strap for socks in the evening temps.

We think alike Abbey. I also bring Crocs for around camp. They add minimal weight in a pack. I also agree - no big toe strap on the Chacos to accommodate wool socks.

wool socks
jungle boots
tingley brand pvc overboots

crocs around camp.

Rather than muck boots, consider Bean Boots by LL Bean. They keep your feet dry like muck boots, but they lace up and give you good ankle support. The sole is a bit softer than your typical hiking boot, but I've never had a problem with traction or footing on a portage.

I used to take crocs for wearing in camp, but I think I'll be taking my Keen Newports from now on. They fit better and aren't slippery when wet.

Second the Bean Boots. I got some for my september trip and found them to be better than even the palladium boots that I wore last time. The palladiums dried fast, but the Bean Boots with SnoSeal on them never leaked a drop and had amazing traction on the rocks.

May thru September (unless it's a really late ice out), I wear Salomon Techamphibians with wool socks when paddling and Croc's in camp. The ST's are stable and just about transparent - they dry so fast. But wear wool socks to keep out sand and rock.

Shoulder seasons, when the water's cold, I wear Muck Wetland boots while paddling and hiking boots in camp. Or these .

I wear 1968 Vietnam issue jungle boots. If they were good enough for the soldiers in the Vietnam swamps, they are good enough for me. Deep traction and they drain/dry out fast. Love them.

Raised in the YMCA canoe tripping world of wet feet (canoe hull never touches anything except water, air, or bread dough), I have used basic leather field boots (no lining) in the past. Last year I replaced my worn out boots with some Keen boots that have mesh panels on the side so most water drains out. I wear thick wool socks. I like the Keens because they have better arch support than my past boots and are low maintenance (no oiling of leather to keep it supple). Merrell also makes similar model of boot good for canoe camping that my son wears. Sorry I don't know the exact model names. I just went to REI and asked for suggestions of boots that drain easily and don't have thick cushioning.

I can't stand wearing anything sandal-like because small stones or sand can make its way under my toes...drives me nuts! I also require some ankle support.

In camp, I change into dry socks and tennis shoes (or crocs), though I might bring my new Merrell Jungle Mocs this summer (lightweight, water resistant, slip on, super grippy soles).

I am a wet footer. I started with Teva sandals and wore them for over 12 trips. I then switched over to Chacos. I wear them 95% of the time during a trips. I may put on an old pair of running shoes on a cold morning or evening. Tan lines on your feet are an indicator of how good the trip was.

prizes14: "I wear 1968 Vietnam issue jungle boots. If they were good enough for the soldiers in the Vietnam swamps, they are good enough for me. Deep traction and they drain/dry out fast. Love them."

My first few trips (late '70s and early '80s) this was my philosophy, too. Later I used canvas-upper portage boots (don't remember brand) a few trips--lighter, but still good traction, good drainage for wet-footing; used them until I wore them out. Tried low-cut running shoes a couple trips, but missed the ankle protection. For our 2017 trip I bought a new pair of Rothco jungle boots. Pre-trip the boots were comfortable and appeared well-made. Second day of a 10-day trip the leather started cracking across the toes of each boot. Day three the soles started delaminating. Day four I did a MacGyver that kept them together the rest of the trip; after the trip the boots went into the Dumpster at our outfitters. Because I couldn't produce the boots for inspection, Rothco would not provide any sort of warranty. I won't buy another pair of Rothcos, so what's the brand of the jungle boots you're using? Meanwhile, these NRS boots , have served me well for several canoe trips, and I'll be using them next week paddling Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.







TZ

Your problem is Rothco. I can't remember the actual brand of boot I have but it is spelled similar to Alladin. They are the actual 1968 boot issued to the soldiers. Don't buy the new jungle boots because they aren't the same thing. My boots are literally 50 years old but you can find them on ebay or maybe some army surplus stores. They are very well made and practically indestructible. US Marines wouldn't have been issued junk these cheap imitation jungle boots made these days.

This is similar to what you want. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-US-Military-Issue-Vietnam-Jungle-Boots-Size-11N-Dated-1968/192815167550?hash=item2ce4adf83e:g:KnEAAOSwKOZcWL0S:rk:2:pf:0

Altma is probably the brand. They, Corcoran, Bates, McRae, and others made US military issue boots and can still be found. Be carefull about look alikes. The boots shown in TrailZen's post look like synthetic leather. Real full grain does not separate like that.
I used Altama 4168 for a few years but did not care for the tall sole and too narrow for my duck width feet. They held up very well, drained fast, great traction and support, worked fine beyond those personal criticisms.

butthead

prizes14, butthead--Thanks for information on well-made jungle boots. I've assigned Rothco a POS number (actually, I did that after dealing with their "customer service" folks), and will look for one of the brands you've listed when my NRS boots are too tired for more portaging.

TZ

+1! for the Astral Tr1. Been struggling with footwear for 20 years in the BW! Just came out of the woods this week after using these for the first time. These are magical, especially in the time it takes to dry out. Never started out in the morning with wet shoes. The grip is so impressive on mossy rocks and underwater. My search is over! Wetfooting with wool socks in 60deg water and I was never cold.

Meindl Vakuum. Made in Germany. Not cheap, but best boot I’ve owned. Period. Tons of support as well as comfort. Long lasting. My 11 year old pair is still waterproof. Not anywhere close to good looking — Butthead’s Russells win that category hands down. And not made in America. But I swear by them.

I'm a wet foot person, and have gone with Keen Newport H2 (kids version) with smartwools for years and years and years (I did a brief interlude with Salomon, but found them too narrow for my fat hobbit feet--my husband loves his, though); non-move days, I have keen Targhee waterproof dry shoes (or teva flip flops for camp shoes if we are just sitting around).

mirth: "If they still made them, I'd be wearing Teva Dozer 2s on every warm weather trip. I had a pair of Dozer 3s but they didn't outlive the Dozer 2s which I still have 10+ years later. I've gone thru a couple pairs of Keen Newport H2s and had mixed results. Typically the neoprene would suffer a stitching failure around the strap that comes up from the sole and the sandal would begin to fall apart. Once I had the strap pull clean out. My current sandal is a Keen Rialto and so far they seem to be holding up better. I just wish Keen water sandals had a more aggressive sole.
"

RIP Keen Rialto sandals. Purchased in 2016, you outlasted all of your Keen predecessors' life spans by double or triple. I still wish you had more of a hiker vs boat sole.

Cause of death: right rear strap detached from sole right at footbed. Duct tape & the removable footbed are what allowed them to remain on life support long enough to survive 40+ miles last week.