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.
