Men's Z/1® Classic

I'd suggest ordering a smaller size than usual when buying a chaco

These are my first pair of Chacos, and the sandals exceeded my expectations. Comfortable and versatile with a very nice design. Would definitely by another pair in the future, but from the quality of the product, it seems that I won't have to!

Everything changes, right? Sadly, it seems the Z1 has changed too. My spouse just gifted me with my now 8th pair of Z1's. The straps are much softer and less substantial than they used to be, the arch support seems a bit less and the shoe is more "bendy" than in years past. I know this because I can compare my older Z1's to the this new one. While these newer ones are great for wearing about town, they feel too soft for some of the more demanding things I did with earlier shoes (walking in marshes, on sand, in the ocean, mountain biking, trail walking, portaging). The softer straps feel like they'd snag and fray easy. Im not returning them, they will do just fine around town. I get it - old school Z1's were heavy, which I liked but I know that some did not. Old school Z1's had a beefy firm strap, which some said caused scratches and abrasions on the skin until a certain breaking in period - but for me, they worked fine. Chaco - consider bringing back a more technical or firmer version of the Z's, the ones that us long timers are familiar with. And Ive mentioned this before - Chaco, make some bike riding sandles with clip-ins ... like that other company has.

The strapping is not as heavy as the previous pair of Colorado Z1s; I did have issues with d-lamination of the sole from the body. This happened while living in the Middle East where the temps can reach 115. However, overall a great product.

These sandals are pretty bulky but you get used to the weight quickly and they're really supportive and comfortable. My problems were with the size and the straps. The size M7 is listed as 25.5cm on the size guide, in reality they're about 27cm which makes for a lot of blisters and careful stepping. The straps were hard to adjust out of the box and they only got worse as I got more use out of them. Eventually the straps got so tough to move that when I last cleaned them, the footbed ripped right down the strap slot. It was a sad day. They'll be designated to sockos-only use from now on.