A few years ago, I slipped on a wet rock and fell into a river with my boots on at the end of day one on a week-long backpacking trip. Rather than wear my sopping-wet boots, I decided to give backpacking in Chacos a try.
After two days, my boots were dry, but I finished out the week in my sandals instead. Chacos don’t offer as much protection to your feet as a good pair of leather boots, but they absolutely can be hiked in. Just don’t count on them for ankle support, or to keep your feet safe from the cold or things that bite and sting.
The energy savings of lightweight footwear are substantial, but must be weighed against the risks of environmental exposure, lack of ankle support, and lack of protection from sticks, rocks, and snakes.
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The Benefits of Hiking in Chacos
Growing up, and for summers between years of college, I worked as a camp counselor and trip guide. Spending the whole summer outside in whatever weather came our way, most of the staff wore sport sandals, either Tevas, Chacos, or Keens.
Most years new staff and campers would show up with tennis shoes or boots. But within a few weeks, they would transition to sandals, likely due to how frequently we were in and out of the lake, or running through wet grass that soaked shoes through.
Weight Savings
There’s an old piece of knowledge claiming that one pound of weight on your feet is equivalent to five or six pounds carried on your back. A study by the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine does give fairly compelling evidence that footwear weight has a a large impact on energy used to hike or run a given distance.
Chacos aren’t as light as ultralight trail runners, but they are much lighter than traditional hiking boots, while maintaining much of the same arch support and grip.
Breathability & Water Tolerance
Nothing breathes like nothing. Leaving your feet free to breathe in the air is great when you’re sweating like mad carrying a heavy pack on a hot, humid summer’s day.
There are two approaches to footwear for a wet hike or rainy day: try to keep the water out as best you can, or embrace that your feet will get wet. The trails I frequent are usually a muddy, water-logged mess by mid-summer, so I tend to opt for the latter. No amount of waterproofing will save you when the mud over-tops your boots, but with sandals the mud just slops off your foot.
When it gets truly wet out, I find it’s best to just go for the sandals.
The Risks of Hiking in Chacos
While I love hiking in my Chacos, there are plenty of situations I’d reach for my boots instead. Living in the Upper Midwest, snakes are a non-issue for me, but the colder climate makes me hang up the sandals for about half the year.
Heavy-duty hiking sandals also hit your feet differently than boots do. Like any footwear you intend to put some serious miles on, make sure your sandals are broken in, and your feet accustomed to wearing them, before you head out on a long trek.
I once walked a full marathon in a brand new pair of Chacos, and even though my feet were well-accustomed to the shape of Chacos from three months of hard wear before then, the stiff new straps shredded my feet that day.
Environmental Exposure
One night when I was living in the dorms in college, I tossed on my Chacos and went to head over to dinner with some friends at the dining hall across the street.
Unfortunately we ended up making a last-minute decision to walk the half mile over to the nicer dining hall. My feet got so chilled by the sub-zero winds that I ended up sandwiching a layer of newspaper between my feet and the Chacos for my walk back.
Shockingly enough, sandals don’t do much to keep your feet warm in the cold.
Lack of Ankle Support
Sandals don’t support your ankles, but neither do most hiking boots today.
People don’t expect ankle support from ultralight trail runners, but the mid-rise hiking boots so popular these days end up giving a false sense of security to most.
A 6″ mid-rise hiking boot hardly provides any ankle support. If you’re concerned about ankle support, opt instead for a high-rise hiking boot, something in the 10″ range, one that comes well up your calf.
So while sandals don’t provide ankle support, your current hikers probably don’t either.
Lack of Protection
In snake country, I wouldn’t hike in Chacos, but I’m also paranoid about snakes, so I’d be wearing some thick leather high-rise boots.
Snakes aside, solid leather boots offer a lot of protection from sharp rocks, pointy sticks, and thorny plants.
I have a very high-stepping, bouncy hiker’s gait, and consequently don’t stab my toes on much. But I’ve hiked with plenty of people who don’t lift their feet so high, and seen more than a few sharp sticks poke people between the toes.
Where to Buy
If you’re interested in giving them a try, there’s a huge variety of Chacos available from their Amazon Store. I’ve even seen people wear them for weddings!
Otherwise, Chaco offers a tool to find a local shop, which is great to find your size.
