Currently Reading: Army of the Republic

My current reading is a book by Stuart Archer Cohen titled Army of the Republic. It’s a political/eco-terrorist thriller about a series of fictional events that could very easily become a reality overnight. The book slowly sucks you in and then won’t let you go until you reach the end. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Men’s Chaco ZX/2 Sandals: Part 5

Having worn my new Chaco ZX/2 Unaweep™ sandals for a few days straight in a row now, all day every day, I have started to develop some opinions about them. First off, the straps are very soft and non-chafing. I had expected a few sore spots on my feet from the straps rubbing while I went on a couple of extended walks. No soreness, no tenderness, no blisters, no raw spots, nothing.

Usually during extended walks I develop shin splints. I noticed while walking in the Chacos that I didn’t develop any shin splints. This is a major bonus for me, I can finally go on extended outings pain-free. That alone is worth the price of the sandals.

Extended fast paced walks usually leave me with my lower back feeling tight for the remainder of the day too. I haven’t experienced that yet while wearing my Chacos either. Maybe it’s just coincidence, but maybe not; time will tell one way or the other.

I love walking in these sandals. Seriously, I really do love walking in them. When I’m done walking, my feet aren’t tired at all. Sure, the rest of me is tired and my leg muscles feel like they’ve had their daily workout, but my feet feel great and are ready for more. Maybe that’s what the diamond pattern on the foot-bed of the sandal is for, it makes the soles of my feet feel like they’re receiving a massage with every step. No more soreness, just an invigorating feeling with every step.

I enjoy wearing the Chaco ZX/2 sandals so much more than any other shoe or boot I’ve ever owned. When I wear these sandals, I actually want to go out walking longer and further than I usually do. I actually look more forward to going on my walking excursions than ever before. Can you say that about your shoes?

Men’s Chaco ZX/2 Sandals: Part 4

Today (Wednesday) is day two of owning my new Chaco ZX/2 Unaweep™ sandals. As soon as I woke up this morning I noticed my gout flare-up had diminished some and the swelling had gone down to about half of what it was yesterday. Getting dressed, I decided to wear my new sandals again today.

First thing upon slipping them on, I notice the bottom of my feet are a bit tender and sore. I had a feeling this might happen because of the hard diamond texture of the foot-bed. In a few days my feet will toughen up some and with more time the foot-bed will lose some of it’s rough edge. I imagine they made the foot-bed this way to help give the foot a firm grip in the sandal, discouraging slippage within the sandal which can lead to a unsure feeling when solid footing is required. In the area of secure footing, the Chaco ZX/2 sandals do feel secure, when you step down your foot stays put in the sandal foot-bed, and the sandal stays put on the surface you’re stepping. These sandals give a very reassuring feeling, I wouldn’t hesitate to climb ladders or work on slippery surfaces in these things. They give you a feeling of confidence in the foothold that I’ve not had in some pairs of work boots I’ve owned.

On a side-note, others may not have the problem with the soreness on the sole of the foot that I do, especially those with hardened and calloused feet. I admit to being a bit of a tender foot due to being a foot-care fanatic, because there’s nothing more disgusting than dirty, smelly, grizzled looking feet. Your feet are what get you around in this world, and it pays to try to take good care of them (and keep those toenails trimmed, raptor claws on human feet are very unbecoming). Every other night I’ll use a pumice stone to exfoliate the dead skin off the bottoms of my feet, and nightly I massage my feet with a good coat of Lubriderm® Skin Nourishing Moisturizing Lotion with Shea and Cocoa Butters. The social benefits of well-cared for feet are worth the effort alone; Every woman I’ve ever cared to associate with has been pleasantly supportive of a man who takes the time to care for his body properly. There’s no shame at all in having well cared for feet, and when it gains you points with the opposite gender, that’s just icing on the cake.

Anyhow, my recommendation is if you have tender feet, just wear the Chaco ZX/2 sandals for a few hours a day until you get used to them, instead of punishing yourself by wearing them all day at the first. I am still very impressed with the overall fit and feel of these sandals and how well the double straps conform to the shape of the foot for ultimate comfort. If you can find a pair in your size before all the stores are sold-out, I encourage you to see for yourself by purchasing a pair.

Men’s Chaco ZX/2 Sandals: Part 3

UPS arrived this afternoon (Tuesday) bearing a box from Zappos.com. Let’s open it and find out what’s inside shall we?

First we have a box within a box. The inner box has a green Chaco logo on it, and the end of the box says it’s a pair of black Chaco ZX/2 Unaweep™ sandals in men’s size 9D. Do the contents match? Let’s take the plastic strap off the box and look inside. Sure enough, there they are, a perfect match to the description on the box. My order came through undamaged and in new condition.

My first impressions upon handling them for the first time (this is a peril of shopping online without seeing the product firsthand before buying, do you get what you think you’re getting…):

• The straps on these sandals look slightly narrower in person than on a computer monitor.
• I wonder why so many reviews say these sandals are heavy, they feel pretty darn light to me. Then again, I’m used to wearing Red Wing 970 motorcycle boots, which are quite heavy.
• I wonder if I made a mistake getting the model with the toe-strap as opposed to the model without.

I should go ahead and try them on for the first time, to see how they fit. This should be interesting since last night my right foot (the smaller of my two feet) flared up with an excruciating case of gout. Generally when I have a gout flare-up, my whole foot swells, especially the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint, which turns beet-red and makes me look like I’ve developed a major bunion. This should be fun.

Following the instructions on the box, loosen the straps on the sandals and fit my left foot in. So far so good, there is just enough heel and toe room to provide a small amount of bumper protection, and the width is spot on for the size of my foot. I continue following the instructions on how to snug the straps to my foot. Easy enough to do, a simple process that can be done one-handed.

Now for the worrisome part, getting my gout-stricken right foot into the right sandal. I think maybe I should hold off and let the gout go down before trying this on, but no, I’m an idiot sometimes and want to see if I can wear these things with a gout swollen foot.

I gingerly slide my right foot into the sandal, and make sure all the straps are where they’re supposed to be at. Oh joy, the straps cradle the 1st and 5th metatarsophalangeal joints of the foot. that means possible direct pressure on the gout swollen bunion-looking part of my foot. I decide to adjust the straps a bit more loosely on my right foot than my left, so that there isn’t forced pressure on my gout-stricken joint. Even with my entire foot swollen some, the sandal still fits with room to play, and lo and behold, no added pain other than the throbbing pain that is present while also barefoot.

Time to take a walk around the carpeted house to see how my new Chaco ZX/2 sandals feel. Do I keep them or send them back to Zappos in exchange for something else? Here are my impressions thus far:

• The double straps look better when worn than they do when the sandal isn’t on the foot. It’s not as an effeminate look as some reviewers would have you believe. Even with my short stubby toes, the straps don’t swallow my big-toe whole. The Chaco ZX/2™ sandals look good on my feet.
• When I walk barefoot or in most other shoes I tend to over-pronate. I notice walking in the Chaco ZX/2’s that they are forcing me to walk in a medically correct posture. I no longer over-pronate, nor do I under-pronate.
• I don’t really notice the toe strap being there at all. In fact, I have to look to see if I’m actually wearing anything, because I can’t really feel the straps on my feet anywhere at all: Major bonus in the comfort area.
• The arch support on these sandals are great. I can feel it there, it’s not too flat like most shoes I try, but not too high either. For my feet, the arch support feels just right.
• The soles of the Chaco ZX/2 Unaweep™ sandals are stiffer than any other sandal type of shoe I’ve ever worn. This means that my foot doesn’t flex as much when I walk, especially in the toe area. I immediately notice this amounts to less gout-related pain when walking while wearing the sandals than when going barefoot, meaning I can also walk with less of an “I’m a wimp when it comes to excruciating foot pain derived from gout” limp.

First day impressions conclusion: I like the Chaco ZX/2 Unwaweep™ sandal a lot. They are exceptionally comfortable, to the point that I can’t even really tell I’m wearing anything on my feet. It’s a shame the folks at Chaco decided to discontinue them, because if they hold up as well as everyone say they do, I would have purchased another pair in another color offering come springtime. As far as I’m concerned, so far these sandals are winners.

Men’s Chaco ZX/2 Sandals: Part 2

Thank you Zappos.com, you are the best. Zappos had one pair of the men’s Chaco ZX/2™ sandals left in stock that were in my size, in the black color with the Unaweep™ sole. They also had the black straps with the Diamond Stealth™ sole, but I didn’t particularly want a marking sole, so I went with the slightly lesser priced (about a $6.00 difference) Unaweep sole. Order placed, email confirmation of order recieved comes moments later.

The things I put myself through for a pair of sandals. You’d think anything would do, but not for me. When I get my heart set on something, there is very little compromise I’m willing to make. I’d rather do without than settle for less than exactly what I want. In this case, knowing I’ll never acquire a pair of these sandals in the Marsh color, I can live with the black straps instead. Besides, black will go with more of my clothing than the green color would have.

What’s so special about the Chaco ZX/2 sandals in particular anyway? I’m glad you asked, lets explore the answer to that question. Allow me to refer you to the Chaco website, where they explain about the qualities of their products.

First and foremost I wanted to try the Chaco brand of sandals because of what they call their BioCentric™ footbed which claims to help correct problems in walking and posture that can cause other problems throughout the rest of the body. For what it’s worth, these sandals even have the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Okay, you say, but all of the Chaco sandals have those features, so why are you hung up on the ZX/2 in particular? Easy enough answer, I like the looks of the thinner double-straps. Reviews by wearers from various sources have claimed the double-straps are more comfortable and conform to the foot better than the single wider strap of the Z/2™ series. Comfort is a major concern of mine as it doesn’t take much to make my feet hurt. I have problems finding comfortable footwear, my feet are very picky about what they like and don’t like (poor quality shoes + my feet = disaster), so I’m taking my chance on trying a pair of Chaco ZX/2 Unaweep™ sandals for my finicky feet.

As I finish this off, I’d just like to note that I received an email (computer generated since it’s Sunday, I imagine), saying that my order has been assigned a tracking number and upgraded to 2nd Day Air via UPS. That means that my shoes will be shipped out on Monday, and by Tuesday or Wednesday I should be seeing the brown cargo van pull up in my driveway with a package from Zappos.

Men’s Chaco ZX/2 Sandals: Part 1

I have been searching for over two weeks now, on the various well known websites that sell shoes, for a pair of men’s Chaco ZX/2 sandals in Marsh (green) color, in my shoe size, which I generally wear a 9D or 9½D. Because I’m borderline between a 9D and 9½D, when only whole sizes are offered in open styled shoes I usually size down to a 9D, instead of sizing up to a 10D, in order to accomplish a trimmer look.

The problem is, everyone is sold out of my size, and it being the early beginnings of cooler weather for much of the U.S., one wouldn’t think there would be a huge demand for sandals this time of year. Time to shoot an email off to the fine people at Chaco headquarters and see if they can provide any information as to why every internet retailer I’ve checked with has been out of stock with the particular pair of sandals I wish to acquire.

Skip ahead one entire day, and I recieve a courteous reply from the help desk at Chaco. They inform me that if I can’t find the color I want in stock anywhere, I probably wont ever get a pair. They say that particular style has been discontinued for the upcoming 2009 season, as the sales for men’s ZX/2 had been less than they expected.

Well, that explains why I can’t find a pair; they are out of production. Okay, well no problem, I’ll just look around for a different color and see if any are available.