Keens vs Chacos

I bought my first pair of Keen Newport Sandals ten years ago after hearing good things about them. I’ve worn them to the beach, to the pool, hiking, around town, everywhere. I’ve had one of the straps mended and have put countless miles on them.

However, after our hikes to Big Branch Falls and our trip to the beach, my sandals were seriously showing their age. Another strap had been in need of mending for some time, but when we were at the beach, the entire outer sole of one shoe separated from the inner sole, allowing the straps to pull out. I thought about gluing it all back together, but I decided ten years was a good, long life, and it was a great time to find some new sandals.

While I’ve loved my Keens, the toe bumpers that protect my toes, and how durable they’ve been, they don’t have enough support for my poor fallen arches. As a result, my feet hurt after wearing them for longer than an hour or two.

After some research, I decided to give Chacos a try. They don’t have toe bumpers, but the soles are more supportive. I tried on the Z/Cloud, which has a softer inner sole, but they didn’t feel as supportive as the Z/2 Classic.

Buying my first Chacos

Chacos come in medium and wide sizes, and the wide was more comfortable, but there are fewer color options available. I wasn’t able to find the size I needed locally, and the only option available online was boring black. I was looking at the end of the summer, so there wasn’t a great selection left.

I didn’t want boring black, so I went with a custom Z/2 sandal, using the Great Smoky Mountains straps (though it doesn’t look they have these straps in stock currently). I love how they turned out!

They have taken some getting used to. I followed the recommendations on Chaco.com and I started out only wearing them a few hours a day to minimize discomfort and build up some callouses. I really like that I can feel the arch support and my arches aren’t sore, even after wearing them all day. I can wear them longer and with less discomfort than I could with my Keen sandals. Hiking in my Keens was painful for my arches, but not when I’m wearing my Chacos.

I keep the toe loop on the loose side so my toe doesn’t feel strangled, and sometimes don’t even tighten the strap at the buckle, but they still stay on.

Pros of the Keen Newport

• Toe bumpers = toe protection (important for people like me who can trip over nothing)
• More of the foot is covered by all the straps, so the foot is more protected
• Waterproof
• Variety of colors available

Cons of the Keen Newport

• No arch support
• Harder to put on because of the fitted straps

Pros of the Chaco Z/2

• Arch support without orthotics (you don’t have to risk ruining them)
• Easy to put on
• Waterproof
• Wide variety of strap colors and designs, customizable options available

Cons of the Chaco Z/2

• No toe bumpers (though I haven’t stubbed my toes yet)
• Less of the foot is covered by the straps, so less protection from underbrush
• It does take some time for your feet to get used to them

Prices

When I bought my Chacos, Active Junky had a fantastic cashback rate for Chaco.com and I received $30 cash back. This brought the price of my custom sandals from $130 down to $100. These days my customized Z/2 are $140 on Chaco.com. Z/2 Classics (non-customized) are $105. Currently Active Junky is offering 5% cash back and Ebates is offering 4%.

Keen Newport sandals are $100 at Keenfootwear.com and Active Junky is offering 10% cash back and Ebates is offering 4%.

Don’t forget to check Sierra.com. Their stock frequently changes, but their prices are good. Remember to start at ActiveJunky.com and click through to Sierra for the best cash back rate, which is currently 12%. Ebates is much lower at 2.5%.

MooseJaw.com is also a good option and Active Junky is offering 15% cash back and Ebates is offering 4.5%.

Backcountry.com is another site to check and Active Junky offers 8% cash back and Ebates is also offering 8% cash back.

Remember: Cashback rates fluctuate often as does available shoes in stock and the prices of those shoes, so be sure to check around for the best rate and the best price. Cashback rates are current as of April 30, 2019. If you’re using Active Junky, remember to start at ActiveJunky.com and click through to the site you’re purchasing your sandals from.

If you’re using Ebates, Active Junky, or Backcountry for the first time to buy your sandals, using one of the links in this post will get you a $10 credit. Check out this post for more info.

Have you tried Chacos or Keens? What do you think of them? Have a different favorite sandal? Please share!