[HRedel]

To Fallingup:

I am about to buy my first pair of CHACOS off of ebay because I am working at an outdoor adventure camp all summer in southern Texas. There are a pair made in the USA being sold and the same kind made in China being sold. In your opinion, which ones have better quality in your experience? What differences can you tell between the two?

 

[Fallingup]

To Fallingup:

I am about to buy my first pair of CHACOS off of ebay because I am working at an outdoor adventure camp all summer in southern Texas. There are a pair made in the USA being sold and the same kind made in China being sold. In your opinion, which ones have better quality in your experience? What differences can you tell between the two?

The differences I noticed were: The plastic strap adjuster (whatever the hell this is called) is made of a harder plastic and slips quite a bit. The older ones are more of a rubber based. The soles are also harder and less rubbery.
I broke in a new pair of the kind made in China on the San Juan last week. Blisters and chafing. that would never have happened with the oldies.

But... I guess you have to take what you can get. I would pick the Chacos made in China over no Chacos at all.

Good Luck

 

[idahoriverguide]

Hello everyone, fist let me start off by telling you I've been wearing buying chacos for over 10 years. I'm a river guide on multi day trips.

To Ryan, I was aware that some operations were moved to China prior to the buy out. I honestly don't care where the sandals are made, I just need them to work, and since about 2005-2006, they have had issues. I buy the z1 with sticky rubber, used to be 5.10.

In the summer of 2006 I went through 3 pairs of chacos, I normally get 2 years out of a pair. The issue, and if you've been at chaco for a few years you know about the issue, was with the glue used on the soles. On all three pairs the glue came off and the sole was detached.

I called into Chaco and they were awesome, they sent me a loaner pair while they fixed mine. Fast forward to 2009, I saw another wide range issue that year with over 20 pairs, the issues was chaco started using a cheaper strap, the strap that connects the back of the sandals to the footbed. That strap would wear and break in a matter of weeks.

My biggest issue was this: I called chaco, told them I had seen many other pairs with this same issue, that I had older pairs and could tell they had used a lesser strap, this pair was only 2 months old, and asked them to repair then, as they had done in the past for free, as it was a design problem.

I was informed I could send them in and have each sandal fixed for $40 each, $80 total. Now I will say I'm lucky as I buy them at pro deal for $40 or so a pair. This Ryan is why I have a bad taste in my mouth, they didn't offer me a loaner pair or any break on pricing, I know this was a known problem with chaco that year and yet nothing was done, why would I pay to have them fixed if they were going to place the same inferior strap in the same place?

That's been my issues with chaco since the buy out, I'm not going to sit here and tell you I don't buy crap from China, we all do. I just need a sandal that works. And I hate to say it but if you really run rivers all season long, chacos won't hold up the way they used too.

Collin

 

[carvedog]

I think Ryan checked out. Must be too hot on in the kitchen.

 

[FrankC]

In other words the Chaco's are now cheap crap at 90 bucks a pop. That is too expensvie for a cheap made in china sandal.

 

[shortbus]

Quote:" I bet DuPont makes that shit somewhere with an affluent pipe directly into the oceanhttp://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/#."


Marco, I suspect you meant Effluent pipe, however affluent pipe may be more apropos on this occasion.

Heres a great little 20 minute snippet which does an excellent job of encapsulating the overarching issue, called the story of stuff. Please take the time to watch:

The Story of Stuff

regards, shortbus

 

[shortbus]

little off topic but here's an example of first world packaging excess:

http://approachingnorth.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-is-eaten-in-one-week-around-world_25.html

we throw away most of what we spend our money on, which snowballs on many levels; the need for more preservatives and additives in food, the refinement and processing of packaging, what to do with it all when we throw it away....

Conscious consuming is a necessary and worthwhile endeavor, but it is not easy

 

[Randaddy]

Try to find shoes not made in China. It's a global economy now and production is over seas. Try to start a shoe company without importing.

What's important is whether Wolverine is auditing their production centers for 100% compliance with human rights standards and western labor norms. There is some very legitimate production in China these days where quality products are made by people earning a livable wage. Some companies (Patagonia, Timberland, GoLite, et al.) are working to make this the norm in an industry addicted to import manufacturing.

Of course we should try to buy domestic products when we can, and we're spoiled with that in the boating world. By the way, Chaco has been made in China for years. If you're still wearing USA Chacos you're not putting much wear and tear on them.