Earlier this year, I broke down and bought a pair of Chacos Z1s. I got these second hand for a good deal. I was looking for something to wear when fishing in a jon boat, as I do quite a bit in the Spring/Summer/Fall, and flip flops can sometimes get a little cumbersome. My Father in Law almost exclusively wears Chacos in the Summer, so he vouched for them.
So far, so good. I’ve had a lot of luck with these. They are super comfortable, and provide great support in the boat. I prefer to stand when fishing, and I’m usually in the boat for hours at a time.
I came home from a fishing trip about a week ago, and noticed something:
And more:
On the other shoe…
The soles were starting to separate from the shoes. Keep in mind I have about $30 invested in these, so it wasn’t that big a deal, but it got me thinking, could I just glue these myself? It’s a risk, but a $6 tube of glue worth it?
I sent out the question to the RCS Hive Mind on Instagram, and the OVERWHELMING response was to spend the $40 and send them in for a resole. I know there are some Chaco Cult folks out there, and I really appreciated all the feedback. I also heard that I’ll have them back within two weeks…that’s good news.
So here are the ‘before’ images. I’ve got them packed up and ready to go – I’ll do a follow up post once they come back.
Do any of you have any experience with Chaco resole? I’d love to hear it in the comments…
You’ll be happy with the resole process. They clean the straps and footbed like new, and attach a new sole. Worth the wait. But what will you wear to D&Co Saturday??
$40 is a hell of a deal. I have always worn Teva’s. Like the lightness of them and always felt Chaco’s felt too heavy. Might give Chaco’s a try next time I see a pair on sale at Nordstrom Rack.
If you ever have the pressure washer out spray off the foot bed of the Chacos. They will look brand new.
RCS – I had heard about the Chaco re-sole process, thanks for the heads up!
I am not sure I would buy used Chaco’s (or Birk’s) because of “how” the footbed molds to one foot.
My kid’s want chaco’s and this could be an excellent way to save a buck or two!!!!
I hate how you turned this into a post from Instagram. You have almost nothing in these financially and made it appear that Chaco doesn’t make a quality product, which we now find out you’ve purchased second hand. I’ve worn chaco sandals for going on 15 years now and I wish I sent my original pair back to get resoled when the sole first separated. After initially using a “shoe glue” that didn’t work for the long term, I broke down and sent them in. Going back I wish I sent them in sooner as my straps had worn down in result of said home repair. Upon sending my sandals back I found that my beloved sandal straps were discontinued. For $40 dollars I got a lighter sole which no longer scuffs up a boats finish and for another $25 new straps that complement the straps that I originally fell in love with. I currently rotate between my original pair and a couple of pairs of limited editions, I’ll never buy a different pair of sandals for the rest of my life.
The quality took a big dump when Merrell bought them out several years ago. My pre- and post-buyout Chacos are nothing alike.
Do they feel like Chaco ? ?
Agree. The new ones have no durability compared to the old. I wore my early Chacos for 5+ years all over the world and they handled anything. They were definitely worth the price. The pairs I’ve had since the buyout have lasted me one season before the soles separate or straps break. For a while I tried buying second hand versions to get the old quality and that helped-I got two years from a second hand pair before they broke in half. But now it is too long ago to get the good quality old materials. I’ll admit I put my Chacos through a lot with daily wear for half the year, climbing mountains, life on the farm, and daily walks in the creek. When I first found Chaco I thought I’d be a lifelong enthusiast. Now I’ve been disappointed so many times I have to go with a different brand.
For sure a good deal! I even had mine re-strapped (a puppy got a hold of them). Feels good to fix an solid product rather than just buy a new pair. More companies should stand by their products like this.
More like 2 month turnaround.