I'm looking to buy a new pair of shoes for kayaking. What do you recommend?

What about these:
http://www.rei.com/product/722202

Thanks!

Well, largely it may depend upon what sort of kayak and what sort of kayaking.
Those are a fine pair of water shoes. (I have a pair myself!)

About the only reservation I can think of is that if you are paddling a super-small whitewater playboat, the soles may be a tad thick to fit comfortably into the boat.

Rob Smage
AW member since 1992, volunteer since 2000, Midwest Regional StreamTeam Leader

If you expect to do scouting or portaging over rocks and cliffs, search for shoes that have rock climbing rubber soles. If you are scrambling over rock or carrying your boat over rocky terrain, having sticky rubber on your shoes is a huge improvement in confidence and safety.

I also prefer something with a bit more support than the neoprene shoes you linked to. At times I have made do with running shoes by cutting off the elevated heels, so they would fit in my boat. If you have a super soft and flexible shoe it can just roll on your foot when you walk on steeper rocks.

Of course if you are just walking your boat from the car to a play spot and back again, you don't need much of a shoe in your kayak.

I've been using the Vibram Five Fingers lately. They're not bad, they feel a little funny and if you're going to walk in them for awhile it's recommended you break them in a little bit, but for the most part they've given good traction and worked out pretty well. They definately beat my old NRS Desperado shoes. The water shoes slipped around on my feet when I was walking on uneven terrain and felt generally unstable.

I'm with bseefus on the vibram five fingers. I bought a pair of the vff sprint last summer, and they've been great. After 10 months of almost constant use they've finally worn a hole through the sole so I'm getting another pair. This time I'm getting the KSO. KSO stands for "Keep Stuff Out" and they've got a mesh that snugs up around the ankle to keep sand and pebbles out. The sprints have served me well swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in various rivers around the country. Except in really cold weather I think these are the best shoes on the water.

I'm with bseefus on the vibram five fingers. I bought a pair of the vff sprint last summer, and they've been great. After 10 months of almost constant use they've finally worn a hole through the sole so I'm getting another pair. This time I'm getting the KSO. KSO stands for "Keep Stuff Out" and they've got a mesh that snugs up around the ankle to keep sand and pebbles out. The sprints have served me well swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in various rivers around the country. Except in really cold weather I think these are the best shoes on the water.