For years, Chaco鈥檚 classic Z sandal has been a staple around boat docks, campgrounds, and the main streets of mountain towns. The brand is famous for its burly outsoles and highly adjustable strap design. Today, the Colorado-born footwear company launched the newest addition to its line of technical sandals: the ($120).
At first blush, the Z Canyon 2 looks and feels like a typical Chaco, with one notable exception: a molded TPU, EVA-foam padded聽heel strap in place of the traditional webbing. (The rest of the straps are still made of webbing.)
The plastic heel strap is wide and stiff enough to prevent your foot from sliding up and down. As someone with narrow heels, I noticed an immediate difference between these and my old sandals鈥攖he heel strap doesn鈥檛 slip down, nor does my foot lift up with each step. As a bonus, the rigid strap makes sliding the sandal on and off a bit easier. I don鈥檛 have to wrestle with the webbing getting caught beneath my heel.
I haven鈥檛 been able to test this shoe in water, so I can鈥檛 say how the exposed EVA foam in the heel strap will hold up to repeated exposure to saltwater鈥攖hough its comfort next to skin is definitely a perk.
The other major change in the Z Canyon 2 is not immediately visible: a 鈥渞unning-inspired kinetic rebound plate鈥 inserted into the midsole. This wedge is designed to mimic the energy return of a running shoe, making the Z Canyon 2 even better for long portages or days that generally involve a lot of walking. I鈥檝e had my hands on a pair for only a couple days, so it remains to be seen if the midsole truly makes for a bouncier, more 鈥渞esponsive鈥 experience. I鈥檓 also skeptical of how useful the new midsole insert will be鈥擨 use my Chacos for carrying boats to and from the put-in and the occasional short shoreline hike, but for any hikes longer than a mile, I鈥檒l change into a pair of running shoes.
I can say, however, that the shoes feel noticeably less clunky than my old Chacos, which earns comfort points. A layer of extra-soft cushioning in the heel adds to the all-day wearability of these shoes.
In true Chaco style, the Z Canyon 2 features a nonmarking rubber outsole, but with a new diamond-shaped tread pattern for better traction on muddy or loamy surfaces. At the toe and heel, the outsole is smoother and bows outward, designed for grip on slick, smooth surfaces. Time and further testing will reveal if these features give the shoe a performance boost to match the added comfort.