Chaco Men's Z/2 Classic Sandals

This review doesn't deal with longevity because this is a new product that I've used for a few days.First, I have nerve irritation in my feet caused by a back problem that led to back surgery and a side effect of that back surgery is often nerve irritation like what I have. It can make one of my feet painful and hard to walk on. I bought my first pair of Chaco at the suggestion of a foot specialist because of the arch support and I can walk probably for a good hour or be on my feet for longer than that in a given day wearing this style sandal and I don't have issues with feet pain from nerve irritation. Actually the doctor suggested something else but another person told me these sandals are similar. I'm SO GLAD I gave them a try.These sandals, which to me are like wearing open shoes because of how they feel and how well they stay on the feet from the straps, have an arch support that's different than many shoes. Most arch support is only near the side of the foot. The arch support on these go deeper into the foot so it feels different than wearing other shoes unless you're had shoes with a similar type arch support. It took me a few days to get used to it because it felt so different. Now? They feel very normal and the typical arch support type shoes feel uncomfortable to me and once again I can't walk very long in them.These newer ones have the same footbed as the older Chaco sandals I had, and the strap system is the same. And this gets us to the straps.Some people talk about how they will change as they walk. Yes this can happen. It can also be stopped very easily. You take a small piece of plastic, maybe two, and wedge that into the opening where the strap goes into the shoe. This will hold the strap in place. Next thing is, the entire system of straps in the front is a SINGLE strap, which means it's HIGHLY adjustable. And this is why it can shift some when walking, which can be fixed. I can get the straps on these new ones to feel VERY comfortable on my feet. No tight spots, no loose spots. The end of the strap goes through the buckle, where you pull the strap tight to hold to your foot, so with a bigger foot you have less strap hanging out, smaller feet you have a longer end hanging past the buckle.So, if the footbed fits your foot well, the straps will work to hold your foot in place more like a shoe than a sandal.I think most people after wearing these a few days and doing a bit of walking in them get used to them and they work well, but there will be some people whose feet have a bottom contour where these sandals won't be comfortable. You won't know the first day you wear them. It will take a few days and then you'll know because once again the arch support is pretty different than most shoes. To me they're a godsend.

I’ll start with the only negative. They’re A little firm not as soft as expected. That said it’s very ergonomic and fits the arches of your foot. It’s also got great tread. Straps are more comfortable than expected. First pair of sandles I’ve had in 8 years and I am NOT disappointed !

I first tried this brand with an ill fitting sandal I later learned had been discontinued - but I kept hearing good things about the "Z" series sandals. I decided to go with this one with a toe loop as I plan to be wearing these on the water, for some light hiking, and generally out and about. I'm glad I picked these ones up as they feel absolutely nailed to my feet. There's no slipping or feeling of being loose. They come with instructions on how to adjust the straps around your feet, but they have a guide on their website if yours weren't included or you accidentally threw them out. I leave the toe a bit loose when I'm wearing them casually and tighten them up a bit when I need to make sure my feet don't slip. Very happy with my purchase and I'll share pictures soon, including how I keep the strap from dragging on the ground!

The shoe fits. . So i wear it. HahaOther reviews are correct in that these aren't the same chacos one could've bought years ago. Others mention the straps being rough. ALL shoes have a break-in period. This break in period will hurt your feet a little. You wouldn't put new running shoes on to run a marathon.After a week, the straps stopped hurting my feet. Now they are good enough, not great, like my last chacos. I think they cheaped out on this model this batch. Compared to my old chacos, the strap is a mm less in width. And i don't remember it hurting so bad to break them in. Now they are fairly comfortable though, and i guess I'll see where they take me

I am lucky. I have arches - not low arches, nor high arches. This makes the toe loop version of this sandal fine for my purposes. If you have low arches, the chaco classic has a pronounced arch support and has been reported as painful by those with low arches. Meanwhile, high arches can be punished by the toe loop - this feature adds much-needed stability when walking down steep inclines or in wet conditions, but has been noted to "strangle" the toe after a time. This is not too bad unless you have high arches - the arch support is ideal, but the toe loop has been reported to tighten much more quickly.For high arch individuals who want to try out chacos, the Z1 is your better bet. Same sandal, no toe loop. For low arch, something the a Bedrock Cairn Evo or Teva Original might be more what you need. If in doubt, a podiatrist should be consulted. I'm some random internet guy and I'm serving hot opinions, not medical advice.I love this sandal, though. It feels so supportive and resilient. I have put miles into it and had few of the issues people talk about when first using this sandal. That is because I wore them slowly, building up to a walk after a week of wearing them at home and in the yard. These are major hiking boot soles with straps and absolutely no insoles to cushion them - they need a little time to soften up and there is no padding or other material to hide this fact.Do not buy these days before you go hiking in them. Your feet won't be ready (unless you already use Chacos) and the sandals won't be ready.Assuming you take the softly, softly approach to ramping up, these are sandals that you can spend the entire day walking. They are grippy, airy, quick-drying, and generally comfortable. I love them and I am a Chaco convert.