Chaco Z1 River Sandals - The best there is - Paddling Accessories

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Chaco Z1 River Sandals - The best there is

(8 posts) (5 voices) Started 1 year ago by James Latest reply from jovyarcher

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James
Class V

Our original design is still the go-to sandal for river guides and
wilderness professionals. With our BioCentric™ footbed and
sock-friendly open-toe design, the Z/1® provides a level of comfort and
performance seldom found in a sport sandal. A single buckle and easily
adjustable pull-through strap system holds your feet securely in every
condition, making this ultra-durable style a top choice for outdoor
adventurers. The surpisingly light-weight Unaweep outsole is an
intelligent combination of slip resistance and traction. The angled,
well-spaced lugs make this non-marking sole virtually self-cleaning.

These sandals are awesome. They make Tevas look like a pair of gas station flip flops. The buckcle keeps them on tight, the soles are grippy on wet rocks and you get the famous Chaco tan.

You can buy yourself a pair of Chacos on Amazon.

We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.

http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe

Posted 1 year ago #
Dennis
Photographer

Hmmm... These must be the legendary sandals that James keeps claiming to have left at my house on some unspecified date and that he is constantly suggesting I may have taken for my own personal use.

Nope, never seen those before...

Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

Posted 1 year ago #
MotoMike
Moderator

sorry about the small picture, but I am ill equiped to function in this modern digital world.

Keen makes super water sandals and shoes. what I like about them is the toe guard. whilst stumbling about in the water, the sharp rocks that poke your toes in the others do not get though in the Keens. comfy too.

Posted 1 year ago #
Dennis
Photographer

That looks more like something I could use. Thanks MM!

Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

Posted 1 year ago #
Lee Harmon
Member

I've been working on the river for 8 seasons now. I've tried Teva Gamma shoes (*I'll get back to these), Teva Hurricane sandles, cheap Wal-Mart sandles, and the Chacos. To me, James is right. There is no better shoe for the gravel bed streams in this area. I've got 3 pair now; my old worn out ZX2s, a new pair of Z1s, and a pair of Z1s with the Diamond Stealth (now called "guide") soles. The guide sole is a very soft, VERY grippy sole for wet conditions. I can say that I've used them rock hopping along the Saint Francis near Millstream Gardens on many occassions and they make a huge difference due to the amazing traction boost the soles give you.

The standard soles are great, too; grippy in mud and sandy conditions. The strapping is really tough but still comfy. They are great to adjust on the fly. A quick flick of the buckle and they loosen up...a brisk shake of the foot and out comes all that pesky river gravel that other shoes hold on to so well (an important feature when your loading 40 or fifty canoes on any given Saturday, and rafts, and kayaks, and...). I wear them from the fist bird chirp of spring until the last goose has flown south in the fall.

I was worried that the quality would drop significantly when they sent production to China last summer (like Vasque and the Sundowners). So far, I haven't seen that from my new pair. Repairs and restrapping/resoling still happens in Colorado. There are more options from the repair department as far as colors go, and repair is the only way to get the ZX style anymore. One guy I work with swears by the Chaco shoes, but I haven't tried them myself. * I still use the Teva Gammas when I paddle my WW kayak. They're small enough to fit, but supportive for my frequent portages and river bed scrambles after a long swim!

Posted 10 months ago #
Lee Harmon
Member

P.S. I also had a pair of the Keens that MotoMike mentioned. I found that they didn't dry quickly enough in and out of the water. The insole stayed soggy all day, and my feet got too hot when I was out of the water (but then I had the leather ones, maybe the webbing variety is better).

Posted 10 months ago #
James
Class V

Lee and I attended the ACA Instructor course wearing our Chacos. Some of the hard core whitewater guys pointed out that sandals increase the likelihood of foot entrapments.

So, as an Adventure Canoe public service announcement...use caution and judgement when choosing your river running footwear.

We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.

http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe

Posted 10 months ago #
jovyarcher
Member

I've been wearing chaco sandals on river paddling and it never failed me...it's really comfy and it's cool to use both in water and on land...

Posted 4 months ago #

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