Chaco Zong

I have owned at least one pair of Chacos for the last 8 years or so, I have a pair of Z/1 and Z/2--both have been restrapped and resoled by Chaco in Colorado and come back like a brand new shoe. I wanted something a little different with no backstrap, my boyfriend has a pair of Hipthongs (the old style) and they looked so comfortable. I ordered the Zongs because I didn't like how they had changed the style of the Hipthong to look more like a flipflop. The Zongs were my first pair of Chacos not made in Colorado but in China...and I'm seriously contemplating sending them back because I'm so disappointed and I haven't even walked in them much.
The straps are more narrow than my Z/1 & Z/2s and they are also shorter, which doesn't give much room for adjusting. The Zongs don't have the Vibram sole which I prefer. It is hard to get a nice fit after playing with the straps for awhile. I like to wear my Chacos a little loose while I'm breaking them in and its hard to get the Zongs to stay loose all over. I might return the Zongs and just wait for my Z/2s to come back from being revived in Colorado.

I have five pair of Chacos, mainly because they have a good arch and are comfortable. They are all different styles and colors - I live in them in spring and summer. I throw them in the washer and they are good to go - the colors stay bright too! I recently ordered a pair of Zongs because I wanted something in brown. Unfortunately, I must return them because they strangle my big toes, no matter how I have adjusted the straps (including extra-loose all over). After a few laps around the house, they are sliding my foot out the back because of the tightening of the toe. It's my opinion that the manufacturers have made the holes too big for the straps, and they don't stay put. Too bad. I plan to look for another Chaco style in brown. Cute as the Zongs are, they're not worth the pain.

I wore my original pair of Chacos out, so I was excited to try out the Zong. I brought them along as my main walking sandal for a 3 week trip- but I found out quickly that the strap didn't want to stay put (unlike my first pair of Chaco sandals which I only had to adjust once or twice a summer). I was adjusting these suckers every couple hours, more often if I had walked uphill or quickly (which loosened the arch and tightened the toe strap).The last day of my trip, I got caught in a downpour, and I had to adjust them every 2 blocks.

I now seem to have a slight bunionette on my left foot, and I'm hoping it's not as a result of walking so much in my self-tightening Zongs:)

This was my second pair of Chacos, and I was really looking forward to trying a version without the heel strap, but without it, the toe loop tightens up way too much throughout the day, and if walking for more than five minutes needs to be readjusted often. Although they look really cute and I still love how the sole feels on my foot, I have painful cuts on both my toes from a day at the waterpark last weekend, and I only wore them for about an hour. Too bad, I was hoping to have another great long-lasting pair of all-purpose sandals, but I won't be wearing these often - if at all.

I purchased the Zong with hopes that I'd done enough research on the common strap issues (toe strangling, moving straps, etc.)to make them work. After all, so many people seem to be so happy with Chaco! (I also have a pair of Chaco Z-1s, they are OK but not great.) The soles hurt my feet after a few hours, and the Zong's straps would not stay even though I washed them. I finally conceded that I should not have this much trouble with such an expensive shoe. A good shoe should require little break-in. It's a shame, because they're really cute. I'll stick with Keen.

I have to agree with many of the reviewers who have already posted: these adventure-looking sandals are actually not so comfortable as to warrant walking, much less outdoor hiking or long wear. I found the straps, no matter how I configure them, moved and tightened and strangulated my big toes while causing blisters on the outside. The sole shape looked contoured and ergonomic from the web but it is not compatible with my foot. The contours include raised outside of the footbed and I could not find these sandals comfortable although I really wanted to. they look nice.

While the footbed of the Zong is, typical of the Chaco brand, very comfortable with it's contoured arch-supporting form, the self-adjusting strap system keeps tightening the straps that cross over the big toe. This seems to make the toe swell with unreturned blood (or something!) and makes it very difficult to get off, thus leading to the dreaded claustrophobic-strangled-big-toe syndrome!! Someone suggested that I got a size too small but I haven't tried a bigger size yet.

They look great, but are not as practical as regular Chacos with the heel strap. The straps gradually tighten over the course of the day, strangling the feet (starts with the toe, then the rest of the foot gets strangled). I have a pair of Unaweeps and they are much more comfortable. I'm still trying to make this pair work though - hopefully the straps will continue to settle.

If I would have known the straps were adjustable, I would not have had to send them back, Sigh. I found them in a store in Downtown Flagstaff and the sales person showed me how to adjust them but it wasn't easily noticed unless pointed out.

I love everything else about the sandals, but the strap below the toe strap tightens as I walk. Hopefully I can permanently fix it in place. My friend has the same problem, so it is not just me!