Want stylish slip-on sandal comfort off the water as well as on? Slide into a pair of Chaco ToeCoops or PedSheds, slip-ons that will see you to your post-paddle PBR and nacho plate in style.
Billed as “Shelter for Your Feet,” the new footwear is exactly that; rather than expose your toes to profanity-causing dings from shore-side rocks, they protect your little piggies with a waterproof, lined leather upper for warmth and rock abatement. Think of them as year-round sandals that can ward off both the ravages of winter and riverside obstacles. While your friends flail in flip-flops and open-toed wares, you’ll stay protected from glancing blows. And you’ll be a notch ahead of them in flair as well, whether you end up in a fancy dinner bar afterward or get pulled over by Johnny Law for that errant blinker.
While the open-heeled Toe Coop ($110) is a slip-on with an adjustable Chaco webbing strap on the heel to keep the sandal in place, the Ped Shed carries the leather to the heel as well, for year-round warmth and comfort. Both come with Chaco’s AddStride PU footbed for stability and fit, as well as an adjustable instep strap to keep your foot in place. And lest you think the slip-ons slip, they come with a resolable, Vibram Gunnison outsole with an all-purpose TC-1 rubber compound to keep you on your feet. We’ve worn them from river shores to restaurants and our dreary day jobs, all with the same result: a thumb’s-up vote for footwear that, like a versatile paddler, can handle anything Mother nature throws at it.
Info: www.chacousa.com
Other News of Note:
Washington Kayak Instructor Receives ReChaco Accolades
If only our boats could receive this kind of treatment. In September, Chaco’s ReChaco program repaired its whopping 10,000th pair of sandals.
During the busy season, when more than 700 pairs of sandals arrive weekly, the company’s staff stitches and re-soles its wares, getting its products back where they belong on customers’ feet.
“The last three summers I’ve been a kayaking instructor for Back of Beyond kayak rentals on Bainbridge Island and it is through them that I got my first pair of Chacos,” says Edward Snow, the 10,000th ReChaco customer. “When I heard I was the 10,000th customer for ReChaco, I thought it was a joke, but I’m grateful to them for taking care of me. I would have still paid for the repair because this company makes a rocking sandal.”
Adds Chaco’s brand manager Whitney Conner: “We feel that with the added resources of the Wolverine Outdoor Group, we can help save the soles of many more adored sandals. We love that our fans create meaningful and enduring relationships with their sandals. Each Chaco shoe creates an emotional connection to the Earth and the many adventures it will take its owner on. We want to continue this connection.”
Repairs cost $40 for resoling and $36 for rewebbing if the shoes are not covered by Chaco’s lifetime warranty. Once sandals are received, turn-around time is approximately five business days.
Info: www.chacousa.com
