Chacos are the envy of most outdoorsy people – if you’re heading out to kayak or canoe, or if you just want a good sandal to get you from A to B, then Chacos can’t be beaten in terms of durability and comfort. Developed by Mark Paigen, a dedicated fly-fisher, and water rafter, the Chaco is a sandal designed to maximize comfort whilst also being suitable for all kinds of outdoor activities.
They let your feet air dry instead of leaving them sodden with water. The heel is robust and chunky, and the sole is lugged, making these shoes perfect for whatever terrain you’re planning on traversing.
However, the Chacos’ most important and sought-after feature is the single synthetic pull-through strap that can be adjusted and makes for a more personalized fit than velcro or other kinds of straps. As good as the Z strap is, it can be a little intimidating or difficult to figure out if you’ve never used it before, and so this article will show you the easiest way to make sure that you get the most out of your Chacos.
Adjusting
Before we start adjusting your shoes, you need to know what type of Chaco you have which should be pretty simple. Do they have a toe-loop? If so, follow the steps detailed below. If your sandals do not have a toe-loop, then your instructions are a little further down the page. Regardless of the type of shoe you have, these steps should be simple enough to follow.
The strap allows you to adjust the fit all over your foot, not just at one point like most other shoes. You can adjust it to be as comfortable as possible around your ankle, heel, and across the width of your foot too.
Adjusting With A Toe-Loop
Loosening
The first step in ensuring you get the best possible fit is to completely loosen the strap before you put the sandals on.
- Pull the buckle all the way back.
- Then loosen the strap at the top, the one closest to your toes by pulling from the outside of your foot.
- Loosen the toe-loop by pulling up the end that sits between your toes.
- Finally, you need to loosen the strap that starts at your little toe by pulling it from the end closest to your toes.
Tightening
Now that the sandals are completely loose, you’re ready to step into them and start tightening the strap to perfectly fit your foot.
- Pull the strap the wraps around your big toe from the end that is closest to the ball of your foot until it holds that part of your foot comfortably, without feeling as though it will allow your foot to move freely. There needs to be some restriction, but you can choose the pressure that they put on your foot, depending on the amount of activity you’ll be doing.
- To tighten the strap around your toe you need to pull the strap that sits across the base of your toes. Pull from the end closest to your big toe until it is secure.
- Tighten the part of the strap across your toes by pulling the strap that goes directly into the buckle. You want to pull this from the part of the webbing that is closest to the inside of your foot.
- For the final adjustment, you want to pull the strap through the buckle and get and as secure as you can. Once again you want it to be slightly restrictive, but not enough that it will rub or be uncomfortable.
Adjusting Open Toe Sandals
Loosening
This method is very similar to the previous one, except that there is one less strap that you need to pull, that being the one around the toe loop. For the best results, loosen all parts of the strap before you put it on.
- Pull the buckle to loosen the strap the whole way.
- Then loosen the strap at the top, the one closest to your toes by pulling from the outside of your foot.
- Finally, you need to loosen the strap that starts at your little toe by pulling it from the end closest to your toes.
Tightening
Once everything is loose, you can step into your sandals and begin to tighten each strap. As mentioned earlier you can adjust these shoes however you need to, and once you get the hang of it, they’re easy enough to adjust on the go as well. The intensity of the activity that you’re going to be performing will affect how tight you want the strap to be – high intensity will require a more secure hold, whilst light activity can be more relaxed.
- Start by tightening the strap that sits diagonally from your pinky toe to the inside of your foot by pulling the end closest to your big toe.
- Then pull the piece that feeds into the buckle in order to tighten the strap that sits over the base of your toes. Pull this from the part of the strap closest to the inside of your foot.
- Finally, you want to pull the strap that runs through the buckle securely.
If should be noted that you can also buy Chacos that have double or even triple straps. If you happen to have a pair of these, don’t worry because the method for adjusting them is just as simple. Follow these steps, pulling the extra portions of the straps at the same time as though they were one.
That’s All
Your Chacos should now be securely and comfortably fastened to your feet. Take a short walk around the room to see if there are any areas that you think still need adjusting, and just work that out until you’re totally comfortable and feel like this fit will see you through the day. Enjoy your trails and stay safe out there!
I decided to set up this site as an extension of my passion, to help others with their own camping and hiking journeys. I want Stone Moves to be the ultimate guide to all things camping and hiking. Whether it is something you have been doing for years, or whether this is a new hobby, there is information on my site to suit everyone.
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