Paddling shoes, a never ending story. I used to paddle Belgian army boots. The problem is they are waterproof: the water that comes in, won't come out anymore. So I wanted something better, and I chose for the NRS workboot:

These boots are actually very nice. They are strong, have a relative good grip and are warm.

The main problem with these shoes is getting your feet in and out. Mind you take at least half a size bigger then your normal sport shoes as well, since they have a tight fitting. Certainly if you want to wear some socks in these shoes.

The grip of these shoes on wet surfaces is not superb, but certainly not bad. These shoes though are great for walking around as well. It's certainly no problem to do that portage with these shoes.

For me the only disadvantage is the glueing. I had these boots for half a year, and the glue to the sole was coming loose. I contacted the reseller and got a replacement pair. I hope this is a one time only replacement and I won't end up in a half year/year replacement cycle.