Chaco (footwear)

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Chaco USA.

Type	Privately Owned Company
Founded
Headquarters	Paonia, Colorado
Industry	sporting goods
Products	Performance Sandals, Hiking Boots
Website	http://www.chacousa.com/

Chaco is a company specializing in performance footwear designed for outdoor activities, such as hiking, rafting, kayaking and camping. Currently devoted solely to sandals, Chaco's brief excursion into the boot market was well marked by outdoor enthusiasts. A large cult following of Chaco enthusiasts incorporate Chacos into their everyday lives. A barefoot enthusiast can always be identified by the tell-tale "Z" tan lines on the uppers of their feet. Chacos are now sometimes considered acceptable business attire and several couples have chosen to have their favorite Chacos rewebbed with white webbing for their wedding ceremonies. Chaco currently offers three different divisions of their footwear lines: Performance, z/reritives, and Andale. Chaco's product line is notable in that all of their footwear is produced in the USA (as of 2006), unlike a number of competing brands in the same market space.

1 Performance
2 Cleaning
3 External links

[edit] Performance

Chaco's Performance line is comprised of the the Z/1, Z/2, ZX/1, and the ZX/2. All four sandals feature Chaco's signature "grecian" sandal style. This style is a continuous wrap of webbing or similar material that loops around the foot and between the footbed and the sole. This design means infinite adjustability for increased comfort for all sizes and shapes of feet. All Chaco's footbeds are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.

[edit] Webbing Styles

The Z/1 is the original Chaco sandal. It features a wide wraparound strap or webbing and is frequently worn with socks by those in the northern regions.

The introduction of the Z/2 was seen as a great improvement on an already great design. A smaller strap and an added toe loop meant greater stability and a tighter fit. This design can be adjusted so that the toe loop lies flat on the footbed, making the shoe function like the Z/1

ZX/1

The new ZX/1 essentially splits one thick strap into two much thinner ones that follow the same path through the sandal as the original Z/1. The smaller straps are designed to increase conformity to the wearers feet.

ZX/2

The ZX/2 essentially mirrors the improvements brought with the ZX/1 but with the added comfort and stability of the Z/2.

[edit] Sole Styles

Chacos have classicly featured three different sole types, but a fourth lightweight option hybrid has been recently added.

Colorado

A rafting sole to the core, Chaco's Colorado sole was designed for the water. Made with Vibram rubber, it was considered a benchmark in water footwear design.

Terreno

The Terreno sole, also made with Vibram rubber, was designed for hiking use. With large flat areas, rocks and pebbles were much less likely to become lodged inside.

Unaweep

A new lightweight Vibram sole, the Unaweep is a hybrid between river and land. The reduction in weight makes it desirable for the backcountry ultralightists.

Diamond Stealth

Designed for climbing and river running, these soles are designed to give you the most grip period. Unfortunately, these soles are trickier to find in retail stores and do not tend to last as long as the Vibram soles, meaning that the owner will have to have them resoled more often.

[edit] Some pairs may be manufactured in China

While it may be true that many styles of Chaco sandals are fabricated in the U.S.A., some styles are actually made in China. Check the underside of the strap to confirm the country of origin.

[edit] Cleaning

The Chaco sandal line is designed to last the wearer the life of the footbed. Cleaning the sandal can extend the life. Sandals can be cleaned in a washing machine in a mesh bag. They should be air dried. To keep the webbing sliding freely, diluted ArmorAll can be applied to the edge of the webbing.