I’ve fallen in love with an ugly shoe: the Keen Newport H2 hiking sandals.If you recognize these shoes, chances are good that you’ve seen them on the feet of sand-covered children sprinting along the beach or dads of the early 2000s who might, against all aesthetic consideration, pair them with jeans. That’s because these shoes, until very recently, have been a major function-over-fashion choice. Even Keen deemed them the “world’s ugliest sandal” in a video on its website.So you can imagine my surprise when I spotted my favorite ugly camping sandal on TikTok as the centerpiece of trendy outfits worn by fashion influencers, seemingly just for the look of it. I shouldn’t be surprised, though — ugly, gorp-y shoes aren’t a new trend (take the popularity of the Birkenstock Boston Clog or the Salomon Xt-6, for example), and these fall right into that niche.To me, however, these sandals, which come in a variety of monochrome and two-tone options, mean something else entirely. They ensure that I can swim in a rocky lake without stubbing my toe or hike in the summer without suffering from sweaty feet. And as of late, they ensure that I can walk around New York City with breathable but protective footwear — and if I’m lucky, I may even be perceived as on trend when I do so.But it’s not about how they look. It’s about how they are undoubtedly the most versatile shoes in my closet. And I will continue to wear, love, and rave about them to anyone who asks — with their ugliness and all.