At Chaco, we love the wild places of this world. Since 1989 we’ve strived to keep sandals out of the landfill by creating the most durable and repairable product possible. Since 2010 alone, we’ve saved over 70,000 sandals through the ReChaco Program. Founded on the river, conservation and sustainability is in our DNA, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our ReChaco facility in Rockford, MI is where the magic happens. You send in your old sandals—often accompanied with stories, cards, pictures, and kind words. We work diligently to get your beloved “Z”s back into adventuring shape so you continue creating new stories to accompany the old.

To learn more about the process behind ReChaco, we sat down with Lisa Kondrat, the director of Planning and Operations at ReChaco, and asked her a few questions about program and the facility.

What is the most interesting repair job you’ve seen?

A person soles had delaminated and she wrapped the shoes in tuck tape.  We also had a person nail the soles back on.

What are your three favorite things about working with customers on repairs?

1. The Passion they have for life.
2. The connection they have in the brand.
3. The love they have for their shoes and dogs.

 What make ReChaco important?

Chaco consumers dig in harder, live life fuller, and connect to more.  They prioritize going outside;  they bike, hike, swim, surf, paddle, ski, walk, skate, dance, and climb.  We help them to continue doing those things in the sandals they love and thus, in doing so, we keep our sandals viable instead of letting them become trash.

To begin the ReChaco process, visit chacos.com/rechaco and keep scrolling for a peak behind the scenes of the facility!