Delivery and contents
The Chaco sandals were received well packaged in a carton and shoe-box, the inner flap of which bears diagrams demonstrating how the Z/1 and Z/2 should be optimally adjusted. The exterior of the shoe-box bears the seal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, which means that the sandal meets that organization's comparatively rigorous standards for foot health. Perhaps through modesty or omission, this fact cannot be found elsewhere in the supplied materials, although the seal appears on the Chaco website. One side of the box shows size ranges and equivalencies in the following systems: U.S. Men's & Women's, European, Japanese and English. It should be noted that there are no half-sizes, pretty standard for a sandal, but both medium and wide sandals are available, which is less usual. Enclosed with the footwear is a small multilingual booklet providing adjustment information for all sandals in the Chaco range, as well as some details on cleaning, resoling and repair, and custom strap length adjustment.
Website and Warranty
Chaco has an extensive and attractively designed web presence. Their site has product information; a dealer locator (Chaco does not sell direct); an interesting F.A.Q. (to which I will refer later); service and repair info (including the warranty); a menu with information about the company, noteworthy stories, etc.; and contact information. I was surprised that, despite providing very full and well-presented information on the sizing, features and appearance of their products, shoe weights did not appear to be available on the site. I used the contact information to phone the company, and found their customer service friendly and helpful; they quickly established the missing weight information for me.
The warranty, available only online, reads in its entirety as follows: “Chaco products are warranted against any defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the sandal or boot. In a stance of plain fairness, this warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, problems with fit, nor does it extend to product repaired or modified by someone else. Any product with a defect in materials or workmanship will be repaired or replaced at Chaco’s discretion. Please contact the Chaco Repair Department for return authorization and warranty evaluation.” All fair enough, in my opinion.
Features and Design
I have long found sandals a comfortable form of footwear. I have developed hammertoes and one or two other minor foot problems (of the kind that afflict many hikers as they get a bit older!) and long winters on snowshoes and skis increasingly seem to wreak a certain amount of havoc on my vulnerable tootsies by the time spring rolls around. Wearing sandals as general footwear in the spring enables me to move quickly past these discomforts and resume three-season hiking without interruption. With the Chacos, my hope is that this year I will trail-hike in sandals. For really difficult trails and for bushwhacks, I will still likely remain in boots for the sake of protection.
Soles
Chaco offer three sole options for the Z/2 sandal. These are the Colorado, the Terreno, and the Aquastealth. The first two are by Vibram, the last (intended for wet environments like canyons etc.) is made by 5.10. The Terreno is a fairly aggressive hiking sole (the tread pattern of the Colorado is much less emphatic), and the soles are mounted to the insole with a good deal of curvature in evidence. Of this sole, the Chaco F.A.Q. states “The Terreno, our newest Vibram sole is 50% thicker, deeper lugged and longer lasting than our original Vibram Colorado Sole. Made of the same non-marking compound, it provides more traction for general trail use and the flexibility of the lugs provides an extra measure of cushion on hard surfaces.” There is plenty of rocker towards the toe, to accommodate the natural motion of the stride, and the sole under the arch is slightly raised also, presumably to enhance shock resistance. Below is a photograph to illustrate this.
The sole and footbed are easily deformed underfoot and are not torsionally resistant. Since I have little experience with hiking rocky trails in sandals, how well this comparatively unstructured approach will work in my region is very much part of the testing these sandals will undergo.
Footbed and straps
The footbed is made from molded polyurethane, and the arch is higher on the inside of the foot than the outside. This should assist in avoiding pronation, and help keep the foot properly aligned in the sandal. The heel is comparatively low, and the toes sweep up. The surface of the footbed, where the soles of my feet rest, has a grooved “checkerboard” design. I find this a little abrasive at present, but my feet are a bit sensitive after a recent backpack, and I'm sure the surface will wear down a trifle and become entirely comfortable. It is presumably intended to provide sufficient friction so feet don't slop about on the footbed.
The strap system feeds through a series of slots in the footbed. There are only two straps to each sandal. One, made of 1 in (2.5 cm) nylon webbing, is at the ankle, and simply runs continuously from one side of the footbed to the other through two slots. To the outside of the sandal, the Chaco label is sewn on at the top of this strap, and there's a “Made in Colorado, USA” tag just within.
The main strap is a much more complex affair, and is really quite ingenious. This is made of 0.75 in (1.9 cm) webbing. It is sewn to the ankle straps on each side, creating a fixed heel loop, but otherwise it is free to run through six slots in the footbed. It fastens at the ankle with a ladder-lock buckle, which is stated by Chaco to be resistant to jamming by sand etc. Since expressing how this complex system works in words is tricky, here's an image.
Chaco suggests the following method for adjusting the straps. Insert the foot in the sandal, and pull up at A to adjust the sandal to the foot (this brings the heel strap in proximity with the heel). Pull on B in the direction indicated by the arrow to adjust the toe loop. Finally, pull on C in the direction indicated, and then take in the slack with the buckle. Chaco suggest not over-tightening (though this may depend upon the conditions under which the sandal is being used—a tighter fit may be required on rough terrain). Testing will determine this. However, at the recommended tightness a fingertip should slide under all straps, and there should be room for two fingertips at the buckle.
I made an interesting discovery while examining the sandals. The toe strap prevents anything but a cut-off sock being worn with the sandal. I have dry, cracking heels (yup, my feet are a mess) and if I wear sandals for too many days at a stretch, my heels hurt. In addition, a sock adds padding and comfort, and helps prevent small stones from getting onto the footbed (based on long routine sandal experience). So, what to do? Do I cut up a favorite pair of hiking socks?
By fiddling with the straps, I determined that it's possible to reversibly convert the Z/2 (with toe-loop) into an extremely close approximation of the Z/1, which has no toe loop and will accommodate a sock (the strap arrangement is otherwise essentially identical). The trick is to pull up at A to cup the heel, but then to collapse the toe strap to the footbed by pulling at B. The excess in that strap can then be corrected by pulling at C. Tighten the strap, and as if by magic, there's a loopless sandal. The cinched-down toe strap is not felt through the sock (or even bare feet).
This works well for me, but there is one caveat. Ideally, the distance between the strap and the Chaco label should be about one inch, according to the manufacturer. My feet are fairly large in diameter, and with the toe strap in the normal position, this distance is closer to two inches. Without the toe strap, the buckle is pretty close to the label when cinched. For a thinner foot, it's possible the buckle might not tighten adequately, but it's definitely a tactic well worth trying. While this method may not work for all, I have found that for me the sandals fit in a manner both comfortable and stable using this simple and reversible modification. I'll certainly be testing this configuration to see if it works well with socks on the trail.
Finally, I'd like to briefly touch on some points from the Chaco website F.A.Q. As there are no half sizes, there is a question as to whether one should size up or down. This appears to be primarily an issue decided by the way the arch contour fits, secondarily by whether the wearer wants excess toe space as a bumper. The 14 sandal fits my 13 1/2 (US sizes) feet just fine, and I like having that half-size excess at the toe as protection.
With some low-volume feet, the buckle may bottom-out at the logo even under normal use, preventing adequate tightening. Chaco will shorten the straps at no charge (details of return are on the website). While on this subject of alteration, Chaco will resole and reweb the sandals, for a fee. Single shoes are sometimes available if one is lost though some mischance.
On the subject of smelly feet, here's the recommended procedure, per the F.A.Q. It's too rich not to quote: “The sweat from your feet mixes with the dust from streets and trails to create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This organic gunk can be a serious impediment to social intercourse. Washing often can help very much (the sandals that is, although not a bad idea for feet too). The easiest way to wash the sandals is to throw them in the washer with your clothes once a week. Air dry, preferably in the sun. Don’t use too much detergent or it will leave a residue on your sandals. If you have no access to a washing machine, give them a scrub with baking soda and water and rinse well. If there is lots of sand in your slots, gently pull straps back and forth to remove the sand. Dripping Armor All® into the slots helps unstick stuck straps.” Personally, I intend to use a little Mirazyme if odor develops, to see if that assists.
Last but not least, if you want to get married in your Chaco sandals, they can be custom made in white. What more could one possibly ask?
Proposed testing Strategy
Testing will take place between now (early May, 2005) and the fall. I will be walking three or four miles on the flat (paved surfaces) two or three weekdays each week, as part of my usual fitness schedule. This will give me a good sense of how comfortable the sandals are for trail hiking. I generally hike or backpack every weekend (and occasionally weekdays) about half-and-half trail-hikes and bushwhacks, so I anticipate putting at least sixty to seventy miles a month on these sandals. This doesn't count wearing them to the stores, round the house and garden, etc. If they prove suitable on day hikes, I plan to do several planned multi-day backpacking trips wearing them. Over the six-month test period, I will have walked four to five hundred miles, which should be quite enough to reveal their strengths and weaknesses! In addition, I'll be doing some kayak touring wearing them.
Here follow some of the items that I will be looking at as the test proceeds. This is in addition to those points mentioned in the text above.
1. Fit
a: How well (given that there is no half-size) do the sandals fit for length? This is in addition to, or supplementary to, some of the items I've touched on in the text.
b: Is the contoured BioCentric footbed comfortable, and effective at preventing pronation (against which, in my boots, I usually wear inserts)?
c: Is there friction at the point where my toe fits into the front loop?
d: Is the medium width true to size?
2. Comfort
a: Will I need to use socks with these, for cushioning and as added protection against sharp objects?
b: How tightly do the straps need to be cinched for stability, and is the level of tautness comfortable?
c: Do I stand a risk of bashing my toes, as there is no toe guard?
d: Apropos of b, how stable are the sandals in use; is there play that might cause blistering?
e: Are my soles sufficiently well cushioned on hard terrain, given that there is no shank?
3. Materials
a: Do the straps, as claimed, maintain a consistent fit and dry swiftly?
b: Is the polyurethane footbed wear-resistant, and does the texture cause any wear and tear on me?
c: Does the footbed resist odor? Does it deodorize adequately?
d: Are all the fixtures (buckles etc.) strong?
e: Is there any tendency for the footbed to tear where the straps run through, a common sandal defect?
f: Is the sole of the sandal resistant to wear?
4. Ease of use
a: How easy is the sandal to don and remove?
b: How secure do I feel on various types of terrain?
c: Do the soles perform well on wet rock, or when they are wet from stream crossings?
d: If necessary, can these be worn with a metatarsal pad or other orthotic aid glued in?
I thank BackpackGearTest and Chaco, Inc. for permitting me to participate in this very interesting test.
