Simms Flyweight Wading Boot
 

I see these types of wading boots are popular amongst the fly fishing crowd...supposedly? I literally just stumbled across them while researching a better pair of boots/shoes for canoe adventures.
Curious if anyone has any experience with the title pair or similar. Looking for footwear that can bridge the gap so I can launch and Portage in them without having sopping wet boots that take days to dry, and something more sturdy then water socks. Do these have any material in them that absorbs water? Any advice appreciated

I own a pair of Orvis Ultralight boots and they’re great for spending a full day hiking and wading a river. They’re lighter and I’ve walked 15km in a day in them. Much easier on me than regular wading boots. They do get wet though and designed to fit over a neoprene bootie on waders. So your foot stays dry, they do not. They take a couple days to dry completely.

If I am planning a river trip and spending all day in a raft or canoe, I’ll just wear a pair of Merrell barefoot shoes for that portion of my day. They can get wet and will dry completely by a campfire overnight. One pair has lasted me about 7 years now. Hope this helps

Simms Flyweight
 

I have a pair of these and so far so good nice and light and provide good support scrambling around the creek banks. Not sure if they are as durable as my G4s but a whole lot lighter which is why I got them, I wanting a boot that would be better out of the water and on the rocks and trails. Not sure of what your portages are like but this boot will supply a lot better support than a barefoot shoe which are more like a water shoe and low cut below the ankle..... that said the merrell or similar would likely be more comfy in the canoe because of their lack of support. They dry out fairly quickly and are usually dry by the time I get back to the vehicle. They fit fairly true to shoe size I wear a 11.5 and bought a 12 which gives me a normal fit with a sock. I wear a heavy sock with them instead of neoprene as I wade wet when fishing creeks..... the sock stays wet longer than the boot.....hope this helps

Thanks for the replies, just the insight I was seeking.