The past few years I've worn some classic adjustable strap sandals with wool socks and its worked well enough, though last year I developed some blisters. I've been considering a pair of Keen Newports or something similar this year.

Anyone wear those/any comments on comfort/blister potential?

What's everyone's favorite footwear for paddling/portaging?

I have used Keen for years. I have found the closed toe design invaluable in keeping my toes intact in rocky terrain. I have gotten a few blisters with them, even wearing wool socks. They are also not as grippy as other shoes. So, they were OK on the portage but not great, but really nice in camp. I now limit their use to summer and short portage trips.

I have recently moved over to Chota's , due to the ankle support they give and ability to fit waterproof socks. I started wearing these mostly due to circulation issues I have to keep my feet warmer and drier. They have a better grip than the Keens. They are not as comfortable in camp due to being a shoe and slightly over sized to accommodate the extra layers.

I have not found footwear that checks all of the boxes, so I stick with these for now.

I have been pondering Muck style boots, but still haven't tried them.

I "wet foot" my canoe, so my shoes are always in the water and stay wet.

I wet-foot and have been wearing Keen Newport H2s (kid's version) with smartwool ultralight micro PhD socks for years. Fits my fat, furless Hobbit feet, easy to get rocks/muck/mud out of without removing the shoe (with a shake of the foot, usually), decent traction, adjustable so if you have hotspots you can reconfigure.

That being said, there are also additional things you can do to mitigate blisters. My tried and true from many years of racing triathlons sockless (IOW, something that reduced friction on run/cycle, but also was water and grit proof for the swim and transition) is a layer or two of NuSkin (or other liquid bandage) topped with a a layer or two of superglue, with some Aquaphor or bodyglide on top of that. The NuSkin and Aquaphor are electives; you'd really only NEED them if you have sensitive feet. I can just as easily go straight superglue, but the other two are a nice to have. I don't generally have to do this much anymore, but if I am going in (IOW, a long day of 20+ miles) and have newer shoes or existing blisters, etc. it still works swell :-)

Chota for me also. Since I mostly paddle in Canada, I need something with more support and ankle protection. I use Chota Trekkers (no longer available) but I hear good things about the newest version. After many years of using water shoes (Saloman Techamphibian and Teva) I went to Chota and will stick with them. The Teva’s did not hold up at all with Saloman’s being better but still not up to the rigors of NW Ontario. I liked the Chota’s enough that when the Trekker was being discontinued a few years ago I bought another pair so at near age 74 I probably have all the paddling boots I will ever need.

I want ankle support when I'm moving and used wear the Chota Caney Fork boots, but I found that over time they didn't stand up so well to the abuses of portages. I have since switched to the Keen Voyageur Mid hiking boot and I'm very pleased with them so far as they are lighter and more rugged than the Chota boot and they drain well. In camp though I wear the Keen Newport H2 sandals. They are hands down the best camp shoe out there. It's also what I where at home when I'm walking the dogs 2-3 miles every day in the summer, and I've never had any foot issues whatsoever in them.

If you like Keens I would go with the Arroyo 2. The heel is enclosed so you get less debris inside the shoe.

I really like Salomon Amphibian tech shoes. Very grippy on wet ground, lots of ankle flexibility so you can maneuver and grip surfaces better—get more surface area on rocks for wet traction. Some people like boots or ankle supports. Too me those feel like wearing cement roller skates, but that’s because everyone is different. Go with what is comfortable to you.

Keen Newport’s feel comfortable to me as well, just put about 20 miles last week on my pair wearing light wool socks after my shoes blew out at Scout Camp.

T

There are a lot of personal preferences. Based on my experience, I prefer a boot at least ankle high. It ties on securely and is less likely to come off in boot-sucking mud, keeps debris out better, and provides more protection from rocks and sticks. I prefer one with good wet grip that drains for wet footing. I wear wool socks and a liner sock. I've used the OTB Abyss and Five Tennies in that category. If blisters might be a problem, I'd proactively treat hot spots. I wear old hiking/running shoes at camp with dry socks.

deerfoot: "Chota for me also. Since I mostly paddle in Canada, I need something with more support and ankle protection. I use Chota Trekkers (no longer available) but I hear good things about the newest version. After many years of using water shoes (Saloman Techamphibian and Teva) I went to Chota and will stick with them. The Teva’s did not hold up at all with Saloman’s being better but still not up to the rigors of NW Ontario. I liked the Chota’s enough that when the Trekker was being discontinued a few years ago I bought another pair so at near age 74 I probably have all the paddling boots I will ever need. "

I wear Chota's as well for the foot support on the portages and wading into the water to pack the canoe. They dry out pretty fast in the sun and drain water well.

Footwear is very personal. Use the site search button and you can read hundreds of opinions.
IMHO blisters are a specific foot and shoe thing. With good gear you only know by wearing them. Cheap gear, prevent with pads and socks...get good gear and take it back if it does not fit. I carry blister pads with new footwear until broken in.
I tried many combinations including the Keen H2O, but always had sand or gravel issues. Now I wear the Abyss OTB and will until they die. Good wool socks are important. I want my feet protected from injury.

I always take blister bandages, leukotape, duct tape to cover any hotspots as soon as possible.

Astral TR1 Merge - light weight, high top, grippy sole, drain/dry quickly, true to size, not high volume like the Chota's. Last longer too in my experience. I've have many boots including the Trekkers and Hybrid High Tops.

I started my career wearing converse high tops back in the early 80s. I don’t think they ever dried out. I’ve blocked the blister pain from my memory. Live and learn. I used Chota Trekkers but my foot slid around in them. Could have used a half size smaller. I loved the OTB Abyss boot but when the soles gave out I bought the Chota Hybrid. I’m very happy with them. Around camp and for day trips I use the low cut Astrals. Very grippy, really like them.

I like the stability of good hiking boot with ankle support also. We got Columbia Newport boots this time. They don't have an excess of cushioning and are mostly one piece construction so they dried out pretty well overnight. We had a shoe cobbler put in a couple of drain holes in the instep. I use extra insole arch supports for plantar fasciitis so just take those and the footbed out and let them dry overnight and switch to light running shoes and dry socks for camp. Lightweight merino wool socks for warm weather and thicker for cold are good too. No problems with blisters or fungus this time. We did pretreat the boots with antifungal powder and treated our feet with lamisil a couple of times along the way.

timatkn: "I really like Salomon Amphibian tech shoes. Very grippy on wet ground, lots of ankle flexibility so you can maneuver and grip surfaces better—get more surface area on rocks for wet traction. ......

T"

Do those have that strap on the side? Any downside to those, like more debris getting in?