Do you currently believe that you need more than one pair of shoes this summer? Are you thinking perhaps that you require the bare minimum of a nice sandal that can be dressed up or down and a pair of sneakers that can take you everywhere from the gym to a weekend hike?
I am here to disabuse you of that false notion, because in fact you only need one pair of shoes to get you through the summer months—Chaco’s Z/1 Classic Sandals in Black.
This revelation came to me after I bought a pair of Chacos to go on a camping and hiking trip in Utah. They are the perfect outdoor shoe, with their adjustable straps that hold them snug to your feet, a rugged sole, and plenty of arch support. I wore them hiking, I wore them while riding a horse, I wore them while wading through a stream.
In short, I fell in love!!! With a shoe!!!
I mistakenly assumed that I would only wear these sandals in select situations—to the beach, for example. But I was wrong—back home, I quickly realized that my Chaco’s Z/1 Classic Sandals were in fact appropriate for every day life and dare I say it, functional, comfortable sport sandals that also look fucking good??? I’ve worn them to the office, on kayaking trips with my dog, on sunny days and in the pouring rain. I plan on wearing them to an upcoming wedding. They can be styled in an endless number of ways, though I have found they tend to pair best (for ME) with looks that are Eileen Fisher-adjacent—think loose and monochromatic.
I have become Chaco’s greatest evangelist and THAT PERSON, screaming to everyone who will listen, “CHACOS!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CHACOS!!!” I am proud to announce that I have convinced at least four people to buy Chacos in recent weeks, including Jezebel’s own Clover Hope, Stassa Edwards, and Alexis Sobel Fitts, who will soon get to experience the deep pleasure of the perfect union of form and function.
Admittedly, Chacos do give you an unfortunate set of tan lines, but that’s okay if they’re the only pair of shoes you wear all summer.