Sport Sandal Faceoff: Keen vs. Chaco

Alright sport sandals, who is king of the trail, master of the high seas, kicker of dirt, and champion of the lounge? It really is a tough question.

As I developed the last-minute-did-I-pack-everything-possible-into-all-pockets-and-crannies-of-my-luggage-syndrome, I thought deeply on some information I came across during my review of the Moon Handbook (see Moon Handbook post); the author said something about a great pair of sandals being very valuable while on the islands. The owner of a single pair (I was going to say sole pair, but that would be punny and make people laugh, or worse, some people might not get the joke), of Crocs with balding tread across the bottoms, I wondered what I might be wearing for my short jaunts across town to fetch a bit of lunch or some fresh fruit from the market. Would I really want to put on a heavy and clunky pair of hiking boots or climbing approach shoes? I have saved my running shoes exclusively for running, lest I wear out the cushion too fast in all the wrong places by using them for things like walking. That leaves me with my balding Crocs or my non-supportive Rainbow flip flops. With high arches and bony feet, I smelled stinky, hot, gross feet, or achy, tight, painful arches. So, I thought more about sport sandals.

What are these so-called sandals that people use for hiking, river rafting, approaches, walking, lounging, and resting after a day of hiking? I know of two main brands that I see on people's feet often (usually a good indicator of either a fad or simply a great product), those two brands are Keen and Chaco. Both are strappy, cushy, sporty, hip, and they come in plenty of cool colors (colors matter, people). With the two main brands narrowed down I wondered if I could just find out really easily, what sandal is better and what sandal should I buy for my trip to the Virgin Islands?

The question raised is often easier than the question answered. I delved into the google databanks for any sign of someone else doing precisely the comparison I was in need of reading. I found a few posts on random people's blogs about Keens and Chacos and a comparison of the two, but none of the information really sold me in either direction. The next obvious step would be a perusal of the websites for each shoe and then of course, a trip to the local wilderness outfitter for a feet-taste-test of my own. Keen and Chaco both have a good deal of variety, clean websites, and of course, plenty of bullets and fancy words explaining how wonderful their sandals are for all activities.

Here are the things that I'm considering as I weigh my options for my sandal purchase:

I'm going to be in on an island for the better part of 3 months. Everything available on the island is imported and I'm not interested in waiting to buy these sandals once I get there.
I'll be doing plenty of walking since I won't have a personal vehicle.
I'd like to do dozens or more of the available day hikes that traverse the island, crossing through steep terrain, beaches, and ruins.
I'll be aboard dive vessels (I hope), and possibly do some sailing.
I'll be on the beach, too.
I have insanely high arches and I was once told to never wear flip-flops again by a podiatrist

I hope that doesn't make me sound like a horrible shoe shopper. I'm sure I was the worst nightmare for the dude at the outfitter. Nevertheless, the guy that helped me was pretty nice, brought out like ten boxes of different sizes, shapes, and colors of both sandals for me to try on in the store.

Findings:

Chacos - I tried on every model available in the store, just about. I found them kind of ridiculous at first. You might agree if you've never worn them before. The system to loosen and then tighten them is a little awkward. I was rather put-off by the type that uses braided/basket-weaved straps. The Chaco's had higher arch supports and felt very foot-friendly as far as my podiatrist may be concerned. They were a little bit more clunky and a little less svelte that I would have liked. First impression, these things are a pain to adjust and they don't protect my toes very well.

Keen - Super simple. You put your foot in, pull on a bungee cord and boom, they fit. That makes my life ten times better when I'm in a hurry. Knowing they fit comfortably in <10 class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">existent to minimal. If you need support, you'd want to get a pair of inserts and glue them to the foot beds. I'm not one much for dealing with goopy and gloppy inserts in a pair of sandals (seems to transform them into too much of a shoe). Oh, and putting Keen in a league of its own, the sweet toe-protector area. First impression, these things felt awesome, comfortable, and I could wear them all day, right away.

Funny how first impressions sometimes lead you astray. I bought the Keens. Long story short, the Keens were great for about 20 minutes. Then, my arches started screaming at me. I returned the Keens the next day and exchanged them for the Chaco's. I'm pleased to report that after a good bit of walking and adjusting, the Chaco's actually felt quite at home on my feet and I'm confident I'll be prepared for whatever comes my way in the Caribbean.

In the end, my research online and in-store analysis really didn't prove to be all that exhaustive and/or useful. What really made the difference was talking to a few friends (between the purchase and the return) and finding out what sandals worked best for them, and in what conditions. The information from my friends, who had first hand experiences with one or both sandals, was the most valuable.

Keens seem to be great for my friends that like to do urban walking, short approaches for rock climbing with lots of roots/vegetation, sailing, and need something that stays on in the river.

Chacos were more well recommended by my friends that have experience using them for hiking, lounging, walking, and river guiding. They were also recommended to me by one friend that also has high arches. Another friend even says that she wore them almost her entire Peace Corps experience.

Keen 0, Chacos 1.