Consider for a moment the icons that have emerged throughout history that have come to represent a once great, but now flailing, and ultimately doomed creature, whose glory days have long since passed, having missed out on one opportunity after another, and are merely circling the drain of hopelessly inevitable collapse, denying their hubris and encroaching fall to the bitter end. Betamax. Blackberry. The horse and buggy. Cable television. The Roman Empire. And Chacos.
Yes, my friends and loved ones, I am going to badmouth one of your most prized possessions, one of your most beloved articles of outdoorsy technical wizardry, the likes of which have carried you up to the tallest of mountains, down through the deepest of valleys, the wettest of rivers, through the roughest of terrain, and the softest of grass, all to the delight of its owner, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, for many wonderful years.
Chacos are circling the drain
Chacos’ combined intransigence toward improving their legacy products while simultaneously releasing fatally flawed newer variations is the worst kind of product strategy anywhere to be found, and if they don’t make some damn good changes soon, they’ll be on the ripe-for-disruption chopping block where they’ll be helpless and vulnerable to any nimble upstart willing to challenge the status quo.
Nowadays, Chacos are a lot like Microsoft. They’re coasting off the profits of products they designed ages ago, and although they continue to release new products at a rather healthy pace, the vast majority of them are abject garbage that get discontinued shortly thereafter. They’re not all bad, but then again, how is it that any of them can turn out so badly, when all they have to do is cradle a foot properly?
The problem with old Chacos
What’s wrong with Chacos, you may ask? Well, not a whole lot. The flagship product, the Unaweep sandals, are some of the best on the market. They’re strong and last a long time, sure, but the real strength of Chacos is in the straps, which only go over the fleshiest parts of the foot, avoiding bones, pressure points, moving parts, and so on. They do a great job avoiding the more sensitive areas, which is why people brag about being able to wear them for 12 hours at a time without a problem.
Contrast this with 99% of sandals in the world, which put a strap right over the hinge between the shin and the instep, which is not only incredibly uncomfortable, but just plain stupid. That hinge moves back and forth with every step, rubbing against the strap and irritating the skin. I’ve literally never been able to find a pair of sandals that don’t make my feet bleed in this exact spot…except for Chacos. I have no idea why everyone else does it. I expect sheer stupidity.
However, this is, for the most part, the only advantage Chacos have. And they suffer from a few very annoying, easily solvable problems:
- Chacos stink. At the end of a long day in the sun, removing them from your feet will result in the release of one of the foulest odors known to man. The sweat between the sole of the foot and the footbed gives rise to an entire ecosystem of stinky microorganisms, and it’s horrific. But this problem can be effortlessly solved by simply adding an antimicrobial treatment to the footbed. There are plenty of environmentally friendly options out there too, in case you’re worried about that.
- Chacos are heavy. Very, very heavy. I can see why; they’re made for serious hikes. But Chacos seriously needs a lighter weight version for people who don’t need all that mountaineering toughness.
- The straps could be softer. Plenty of other companies have more snuggly options, and although Chacos can’t really move much once they’re on, a few spots would benefit from being a little less abrasive.
So, what’s a big huge company to do when its old products have potential flaws? Release new ones, of course.
The problem with new Chacos
This is just embarrassing. I mean really. There’s a reason the only Chacos continuously available are the Unaweeps. And it’s because all the other Chacos suck.
Check out this one, which put a rubbery vertical strap holder in place of the nylon webbing. They took one of the worst parts of the Unaweeps and made it even worse. It’s called the Updraft sandal.
Luckily, those were discontinued. Because they were atrocious. Chacos already had a good thing going, and they modified it in an incredibly stupid way.
But Chacos are good enough to learn from their mistakes, right?
Wrong.
Remember how I said Chacos were heavy, and it would be great if there were a lighter version? Enter the Rex and Mighty, Chacos that weigh in at half the weight of the Unaweeps. They’d be perfect, right? RIGHT?!?!
Nope.
Check out the plastic buckle near the ankle:
As you may have guessed, that is a terrible place to put a plastic buckle. Within several minutes of walking it became obvious that it just wasn’t going to work. It was thoroughly disappointing. They had a good thing going with the strap layout of the Unaweeps, and they screwed things up by ruining the best thing they had going for them.
They rearranged the straps in such a way that the strap that goes over the center of the inside of your foot (the fleshiest part) simply isn’t there anymore. Instead they have this plastic buckle over the boniest part of the foot. Oh, and they moved the adjustable strap so it fits higher on the instep, by the hinge where it connects to the shin. Dumb.
Is there any hope for Chaco fans?
Well, sort of. There’s the Yampa sandal, which is identical to the Unaweep except that it’s lighter. Slightly lighter. About 12%. It’s fine, but why bother? They’re pretty much the same as the Unaweeps and don’t offer enough of an advantage to distinguish themselves. What they need is something much lighter, not just slightly. Plus, they have the same footbed, and thus odor problems. Ugh.
You need to admit you have a problem, Chacos
I don’t really know what the deal is with Chacos these days. These aren’t just minor errors. The products displayed above are horrific design flaws that make your feet bleed. It’s not just a weird perfectionism on my part. They’re just downright health hazards. It’s an embarrassment they were ever released, and it means someone…or several-one…is making awful product design decisions and no one has the guts to put a stop to it.
This is symptomatic of big companies doing dumb things because they don’t know what’s good for their customers, and only attempt to do what’s good for their shareholders. And I imagine that if the bosses way up at the top are the type who wear fancy suits, they’re not the type to wear Chacos. And thus, they have no idea how to make a decent outdoor product.
To be clear, I have no idea what’s going on in the Chaco think tank. I can only speculate. But I do know they haven’t updated their flagship product in a decade or whatever, in ways that would make it objectively superior, and they continue to release horrible products that cut your feet to pieces in a matter of hours. It’s awful.
And, like I said, it’s ripe for disruption, by whatever snarky upstart has a better plan, and can get it into the hands of adoring fans before Chacos can react. Laurels aren’t a good place to rest, guys.
It’s not me, Chacos. It’s you. Fix you. You’re broken.
Update: Chacos has modified the Updraft sandal to use the same straps as the Unaweeps! All is right with the world again! Yay!
I haven’t tested the new ones, but they solved the most-often-complained-about problem with the old style, and I think they’d be a damn good lightweight alternative to the Unaweeps. Some stories have a happy ending after all.
To top it off, they now discontinued their lightweight designs, the Rex and Mighty. My pair of Rex’s are wearing out, but now they only offer their Huge Heavy designs. I see they added a ‘pillow top’ comfort line. WTF. When you have size 47, you need something lightweight for traveling, not pillow top moon sandals!!!
Are there any alternatives out there?
You can’t even get decent Chacos in Canada any more. The new “urban chic” versions just don’t cut it for real outdoors people. The footbeds seem smaller, the straps thinner and the feel is just terrible. Why is it that once you find something that works, like Chacos of 12 years ago, that they change and ruin a good thing?
This may very well be the stupidest article I’ve ever read. I challenge the author with two thoughts… First, you understand the strategy of change for business success (read the book) or the innovators dilemma (read this book also)? Second think of the companies that have stayed stagnant after introducing an excellent product (Ashton Tate, Novell, Borland, etc.). I wonder if those visionary companies wonder what would have happened if they had read the two books above and followed that wisdom.
I’m sure you’re part of the iCult and may not know that Microsoft does indeed innovates quite successfully. Did you know they spent $8B on Skype? Or just yesterday tendered an offer of $26B for LinkedIn? Probably not.
Again, this is now in my “Top 5” stupidity list.
I challenge you to read further on this thing called “the internet.” There’s a lot of garbage out there, and if this is the pinnacle of stupidity as far as you have experienced, then you’ve been living a pretty sheltered and comfortable existence.
As for Microsoft, its legacy programs such as Office can be easily replaced with free alternatives, and although operating systems aren’t likely to get turned upside down that quickly, Chromebooks and other systems that used browser-based apps can offer an alternative to Windows that could eventually be hard to compete with. They have plenty of money and sources of revenue, but two of the biggest are more vulnerable than any incumbent would like to think. It’s hard to point to a scenario in which Microsoft is getting itself out of this predicament. Spending $8 billion on Skype isn’t “innovating.” People generally buy up products they weren’t clever enough to invent themselves.
I have you checked out Bedrock Sandals? I’m not at all an outdoors person, but I like a comfortable, durable sandal – especially if I’m going to pay $100 for them. I wore the same pair of Chacos for over 11 years and they finally broke. The style is discontinued and can’t be repaired, so I’m looking into new pair. I know that the biggest complaint about Chacos I’ve heard over the years is that they’re bulky and heavy, but this never really bothered me. But as I’ve been reading reviews and comparisons to other brands it seems that they are not made to the same standards as they used to be. I’ve been looking into these Bedrock sandals and they seem to be pretty promising – much lighter, but very durable and comfortable. I’ve yet to find a side by side with them and Chacos though.
The strap layout looks promising, as it doesn’t have a strap over the hinge between the foot and the leg. I’m generally skeptical of “minimalist” footwear, as I’ve always found thin shoes painful, but they might be thick enough or sturdy enough that it’s fine.
For someone with particular tastes in sandals, what is your preferred pair?
Hmmm…I wouldn’t want to pick one without having tried both, but lightweight versions of Chacos have been pretty reliable for me. I just have to toughen up the skin by wearing them for short periods day after day to get my feet used to them again each summer.
Oh, I just meant in general. Out of all the sandals you have tried, what are you favorite?
I can’t remember the name, but it’s an older model of Chacos that were lighter than the original design. The Z/Volv appears to be quite similar.
Are the Chaco Classic Athletic Sandals similar to the Unaweep’s, Yampa’s, Updraft 2’s or Z/Volv’s?
I think the Classic and the Unaweep are the same thing, and they’ve simply switched the name so they’re now called Classic. They also keep changing the names of the lightweight options, while also failing to list the weight of any of their products. Argh. It looks like the Z/Volv is the lightweight one, though, and perhaps also the Z/Cloud.
Thank you! Shopping now. Your article was very helpful.
Chacos are going stronger than ever. If anything they mirror Apple as a must have item for all ages. It is not unusual for ppl to have 3-8 pairs in their closets.
Zvolv is the lighter, less supportive style.
Zcloud is the latest with support and a soft footbed. Decent weight also.
Thing is, everyone wants support, durability, comfort, style…and at a light weight.
I suppose you could make a carbon fiber shoe to do everything for 500 bucks.
Until then, Chacos do very well. Teva is a good alternative but they dont really do anything better than Chacos. They are just different. Also, any shoe can smell bad. Usually the brands that claim they dont. After selling hundreds if not thousands of chacos, customer complaints are virtually nil. Also very unlike Microsoft.
I still love them, but I want to keep the pressure on so they’ll address some of those issues. I literally can’t wear anything else, so I need Chacos to be glorious, not just mostly good. Complaining is the first step toward progress!
I bet you feel stupid about this post now. Chacos are huge and awesome and everywhere and millennials love them. Lol on you!
I just wish they weren’t big, heavy, and scratchy. Someday…
Chacos rule!
New Chaco’s SUCK! I just talked to a Chaco Sales rep and she pretended like she had never heard this. Good luck in the future. I will go back to TEVA>
I am an adult woman with a very tiny foot. When I was younger I was a size 5 but now I am a size 4 or 4.5 (as shoes are now made bigger, in my opinion) and in Chacos I am a size 2 youth/kids. I’m guessing about 12 years ago I bought two pair of Chaco kids ZX/1 sandals at REI. Love these sandals! In the last two years I have purchased several similar pairs online which were all returned. They just don’t fit the same and the quality is obviously much worse. I think they used to be made in the U.S. and now they are made in China?
Just bought two pair online at REI in black hoping at least one would fit. Both pair were defective. The top straps near the toes much too long and did not enclose my foot. Also, had to tighten ALL the way with no slack in order to fit and the straps are super long and drag on the floor.
Just returned them. I think I will have to look on Ebay to try to find the older styles…
Yeah, I’ve heard from several people that they cut down on costs by changing production, although I don’t know the details. Kinda sad. I’m looking into alternatives, because Chacos just won’t bother doing something lightweight. Some of the barefoot styles look fine, although I’m a little skeptical of that twisted mass of nylon straps in the arch area…
I couldn’t disagree more. It’s been 4 years since this article was published and Chacos are still going strong. Why? Because they are NOT the Microsoft of the sandal world, they are the Apple of the sandal world. Like Apple, they have a form follows function approach and the sandals look and work better than everyone else’s for the same reason that the Saturn V rocket looked better than everyone else’s, because it was the one the design well enough to get to the moon.
Circling the drain nuthin. Chacos rule!
I agree that they’re the best. I just wish they could be even better.