+1 for Salomon footwear.

For a couple reasons. Mostly comfort and performance, but also quality backed by a very strong warranty. My first pair of tripping shoes were Salomons and man did they ever last. I put them through the wringer too. My only gripe is some models fit a bit on the narrow side. Otherwise, great products by a great company.

Short story: Bought Salomon winter boots for 2019 winter, they were supposed to be waterproof - which they were, for the first season. This year, I put them on and my feet got wet. E-mailed Salomon, they asked for photos and my invoice, I sent them and BOOM - voucher for full replacement cost of the boots (I guess they knew of a defect, cause this seemed easier then it should have been). I ended up getting their top of the line winter boots, and so far I am very very happy with them.

John Connelly wrote:

Ryan ... have found footwear to be such a curious thing .
We traverse portage trails in Algonquin Park previously walked by many feet .
I have always wondered what was on the feet of First Nations People , as they thrived on the routes we walk today ?
Particularly so during the slushy thaw weeks ahead .
Mukluks from what I can read on the interweb  , many variations particular to the seasons .
Masters of footwear , long before Vibram soles ?
As a young lad , wore North Stars ... Chuck Taylor addias...tail bone breaking ( super slider ) Kodiak Grebs and then Doc Martens .
Will always be curious , as I walk portage trails of Algonquin Park ... thinking bare feet may be a better option ?
 

It's hard to compare our modern age methods to those of the past. Maybe they originally walked these trails with bare feet, and their feet became strengthened to accommodate the terrain. We never walk around barefoot unless it's in the comfort of our own house, so to do so on a trail would be a major disruption and we won't be acclimated to it.

Chuck Enwinde wrote:

You're probably right.  I think ankle support is a bit of a myth anyway,  NBA players all used to wear "high tops" until someone figured out they weren't necessary.   I do a fair amount of bush wacking from fall through spring and you'd pry my NAT's EVA foam boots from my cold dead hands.  They weigh basically nothing so I can justify bringing them as well as some camp/paddling shoes and always have happy feet.  My latest Keens are about toast and I don't think I'm going to bother replacing them.

The counterarguments I always see is that i) you have less mobility when there's more ankle support, and ii) your muscles in that region don't have to do as much work so they don't strengthen as they should, which could make you more injury prone.

I personally don't wear high tops and I've never had any issues... rolled an ankle a few times but nothing that set me back more than 5-10 minutes. I don't feel comfortable wearing water shoes / sandals though while portaging.

I do believe a lot of it is preference though and there's no hard right or wrong answer.

Spoonsy wrote:

...  don't mind the 90 seconds to swap pairs. I keep a carabiner on the outside of my portage pack and just hook up the pair I'm not using.

When traveling solo I can often do a full transition from paddling to portaging in 90 seconds, including putting the pack onto the (dearly departed) dog. I'm sure carrying additional footwear choices can make you more comfortable but I like to sacrifice some comfort for speed and lightness.

My goto is a pair of Keens and if it's cold then I'll add in a thick sock. I don't love the Keens, they get slimmy under my foot when going through muddy puddles, let in pebbles, and let my feet slip around a bit too much. But they dry fast, get ok grip, and have mostly good protection. I considered trying Salomons but I doubt they will fit my wide 2E feet. So I stick with Keens, not perfect but good enough.
 

I like boots - ankle support and all of that. I miss the old Greb Kodiaks and Eddie Bauer ones - the current "revived" version of the Kodiak boot is so-so but a pale imitation. Those Salomon ones sound interesting.

I have waded chest-deep through a washout in late April on the HHT. Gotta have boots for that; also for walking over beaver dams.

I won't swim without putting some sort of running shoe on my tender feet. Btw my latest "polar bear dip" day in A.P. is Oct. 31st.