Men's Z2 Classic Athletic Sandal

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.

Wearing these since the 90’s, possibly on my 7th or 8th pair now.

I specifically bought these Chaco Z2 Classic Sandals for an overseas vacation that would entail hiking, swimming and city walking. They did not disappoint in their fit and functionality. I choose this version with the big toe loop vs. the version with the band that goes across the top of the foot because I felt this version provided more response during hiking. I was probably over-analyzing this part of the purchase but I've had similar sandal designs where the entire front of the sandal has folded under as a result of getting caught on an edge of step or a large rock/tree root on a trail. The Chaco footbed is very comforming and comfortable, even after a long day, and it's very solid rubber. Watch the video for the adjusment of the straps -it'll save you some frustration and will fine tune the fit. Thumbs up all around for this classic - I would recommend and buy again (but this pair is very well built so it may be awhile).

not sure if I would like these but I do. The straps bother me because I have to tighten them all the way down and then the excess you have to wrap under the straps. Figuring out which way to pull them to get them to fit is a little tricky. Much heavier than I thought. Won't kill myself in flip flops though. Cheap but had some near problems on steps and on flat land. If the toe breaks (flip flop) or comes out in a flip flop that is almost a disaster waiting to happen. Flip flops leave hard spots (cali.?) on your feet as well. Fits nice on the bottom. Didn't get the cloud here but ordered two pair and one as custom (red white and blue). Didn't get the 2 or toe though, so worried, but cloud bottom for an extra I think $10. These are very tough. Some designs you like but don't come in wide width or you have to trade of 2 or toe or not toe, cloud or not, classic, design, size, availability, cost, ... Gets tricky.

I've been a Chacos "devotee" for a couple of decades now. I had a pair on which the soles wore out so I sent them back to the manufacturer for re-soling, doubling their life--they even did a "flossing" strap cleaning on them (something I regrettably neglected to do). On my second pair, the soles similarly wore out after many years, so again I sent them to the manufacturer for re-soling. Unfortunately that model had been discontinued (they're durable so I get many years out of them!), so the company recycled them for me and I ended up buying this pair. I really like how the straps are completely adjustable, since they're essentially a single piece connected under the footbed. Once you get them "dialed in" to your foot they are fantastic. I always get the models with the big-toe loop as I feel it gives me more security in a variety of situations, and you can always pull the big-toe loop flat or simply not put your big toe through the loop if you want a different look with the same pair.

I had heard good things about Chaco and the Z2 in particular. I had concerns about toe strap but a few people I knew said they didn’t have issues. The Z2’s were supposed to be more secure and thus better for hiking and being active. I wanted something secure where foot wouldn’t move around. The footbed is comfortable and the traction feels like it would be good. But there are issues the straps. The strap is all one piece, so you can’t adjust individual areas of the sandal. If you adjust the sandal to be secure or even slightly loose, when you walk the pressure of you foot on the top straps pulls the toe loop. There is never an opposing pull to loosen the toe loop. The toe loop just continues to tighten. The toe turns purple and gets painful. I am shocked that they still sell these. If someone with neuropathy wore them and didn’t feel the tightening they could easily loose their toe.

These feel better than my tevas

The quality of material is made with nice dense material. However, as a mens size 10, I ordered a 9 and these still fit too big on me which was confusing. I don’t know if its the design that wraps around the toe, but it was hard to get an equal fit on both feet, leaving me feeling annoyed with that. The strap would also get too long, although I heard thats more of a personal adjustment issue. I’m sure these are great for many, but unfortunately left my feet blistered on one part or the other. I mainly got these because I wanted the ease and comfort of putting on sandals or flip flops, without losing the support and structure a good shoe can provide. I think these would do the trick, but after a month of wearing them pretty much everyday, I still could not “break into” them. I got lots of compliments on them though which surprised me! The straps just ended up cutting into my top ankle, or bottom, even when following directions and order of strap loosening and adjusting.