Last year I took a trip to Costa Rica and all I brought were regular flip-flops. This didn't work out so great when i was walking in water to get to a waterfall and i kept slipping. I had noticed a lot of people had been wearing athletic sandals, but they all looked very frumpy.

So this year when i was planning my trip to Jamaica, one of the things we planned to do was a river walk, so I decided to find some sandals that would work. All my friends had bought 'water shoes', but i wanted something that i could wear more often, in and out of the water, and hiking...and i came across the Chaco's. I went to an REI first to try out the different fits and found that I liked the one with the toe loop. The retailer even showed me that you could pull the toe loop through so that it would look like a regular z/1, and i was sold. Since it would be sunny, i didn't want to get all black, so i turned to the internet to find more colors. Luckily, I found this website with this exclusive color and instantly bought it. Even with 2-day shipping, my sandals ended up cheaper than if i had bought it at the store...and i got the color i wanted!

As for the sandals, they are incredible. I didn't slip on the rocks, they dried really fast, and were super comfortable. It is a little hard to swim in them though (as i had to doggie paddle every so often). My friends with the water shoes were having a hard time with the hiking and the rocks, and a couple had to bring back up shoes, but my sandals worked in and out of the water and i didn't take them off all day!

I have more pairs of Chaco's than I care to admit, simply because they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. My feet are extremely flat and prone to blisters. The Chaco arch is supportive yet gentle enough to not cause foot pain or arch blisters. The straps are also very gentle on the feet. These particular Chacos make for an excellent dry-weather day-hiking shoe. The traction is very good and the straps hold your feet securely. Extra bonus: the non-marking soles are safe on boat decks.

Sunday was the first day I wore these hiking. I was really trying not to get them dirty. The color gets me alot of comments. My husband was trying to talk me into getting into the creek with them on but I utilized stepping stones instead. Maybe next time I will have more fun if I don't care about getting them dirty...but they look so good!

I bought these to replace my 6 year old pair of the same that were worn beyond repair. I personally find the toe strap to be comfortable enough and essential for keeping my feet in place in the water and on hikes. I didn't like any of this year's Chaco colors, so I was very excited to find this pair. In person, they are even better looking than in the picture. Still, there is one big problem (and probably the reason why this isn't a standard Chaco color)--the color is too light! These got dirty (and dirty looking) the very first time I wore them, which was in the river. I tried to scrub out the dirt (with minimal success), but the next time I wore them (on a hike) they got even dirtier. I finally decided that I would just need to be okay with that, as I bought them for performance and not so much for fashion, but this is not a problem I ever encountered in my older (darker-colored pair) that always looked good with a spray of the hose. I still love them, but just want others to know what to expect.

These are awesome sandals, but they are not meant for wide feet.

These felt perfectly molded to my feet right out of the box. The day after getting them, I took my dog on a 3 mile hike, uphill, downhill, dirt/rock trails. The grip was great and no blisters. Usually I need to break new shoes in, and after a couple miles the hot spots start to show, but these are so adjustable they feel like they are custom made. Definitely worth the money. Sizing seems normal and the color is a lilac with some light green stripes running through.

At first I thought they were too tight, and my feet are not wide. However when I got to know them I found that they are totally adjustable to your feet. Also the toe binder is excellent for my feet since big toes tend to want to stray over to the second toe. They are comfortable, classy looking, and both my sons and their wives told me I would really like them. I do.

I wish I could have worn these Chaco Z/2 Unaweep Sandals. They are the most beautiful sandals ever; however, I have had two foot surgeries with steel rods inserted in my toes, so the toe wrap aggravated my big toe. That's okay though because I ordered the Wrapsody and I can't wait until they get here.

Thanks to Alec for the online chat help. You guys are GREAT.