Let’s face it, Chacos are everywhere. We see them on college campuses, in grocery stores and even at weddings. But there’s a big difference between wearing this Z-strapped sandal down the aisle and sporting it on a multi-mile hike-a difference that has the hiking community split.
Created in 1989, the Chaco was originally meant for river use. Twenty-five years later, the popular outdoor sandal is now fastened to the feet of many avid hikers, including Chattanooga Hiking Meetup member Carol Salinas.
“I’ve worn Chacos to hike in ever since I seriously started hiking about four years ago,” she says. “They have good support and they feel good on my feet. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.” And trade them she hasn’t. Salinas’ 13-year-old Z2s have gone everywhere with her, even across Pikes Peak in Colorado, a mountain that rises more than 14,000 feet above sea level. After braving low temperatures at the top and flaunting socks for the rainy trek down, Salinas says she will hike in any weather in her Chacos, including winter. “I’ve gone on a hike in February where it was cold and there was snow on the ground,” she says. “I can do anything in my Chacos.”
But many hikers are hesitant about using Chacos instead of a traditional boot. This is mainly because of its open format, which allows earthy objects to stab and scrape your feet.
Elizabeth O’Connor, president of the Chattanooga Hiking Club, says she hiked in sandals once during a backpacking trip in the Smoky Mountains and hasn’t done it since. “I tripped on some rocks, and I think I broke my foot. It was bruised and purple, but I had to keep going,” she says.