An Open Letter to Chaco Footwear

Dear Chaco,

Your shoes saved my hiking career. During the spring of 2015, I was attempting a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. On one particular evening, while walking down a mountain in Cherokee National Forest in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee, I suffered an injury that would begin a cascade of pain and suffering and ultimately end my thru-hike attempt.

The Fall

Earlier in the day, I had summited Roan Mountain and traversed across the famed Roan Highlands. Now, I was booking it down a set of switchbacks trying to beat a thunderstorm to town. I was making good time, probably listening to my favorite cheesy hiking music, when one misstep sent me tumbling head over heels. I was unaware at the time, but this fall caused a tiny fracture below my left ankle.

I spent the next few weeks pretending that I wasn’t hurt, telling myself that the swelling was due to a mild sprain and ignoring the purplish bruise that spread across nearly 1/3 of my left foot. My foot was so swollen after the fall that it didn’t fit it into my normal hiking shoes, so instead I found myself hiking in my camp shoes: a pair of Chaco sandals that I’d owned for years. I hiked the next 150 miles on a fractured foot and sprained ankle, wearing Chaco sandals more often than not, before finally coming to terms with the fact that I needed to go home. I wouldn’t have made it even that far if not for the structure and support of that miraculous Chaco footbed.

The Discovery

Now, three years and another failed thru-hike attempt later, and my feet still aren’t right. You see, something else was happening on that first hike. Both of my feet had already started down the path to semi-permanent overuse injuries. By the end of my second thru-hike attempt my feet hurt so bad that I was sure I had stress fractures in both of them. Nope, just inflammation of the plantar fascia. I was forced, once again, to go home.

Hiking is the one thing on earth I’m sure I can’t live without. It brings me peace in a chaotic, stressful world. It clarifies my mind and allows me to think through complex problems. It keeps my brain and body strong and healthy. And now, I was looking at my painful feet and wondering if they’d ever carry me up a mountain pain-free again.

Once I was home I decided I was going to hike despite the pain. On a whim I chose to head out for a short day hike wearing my Chaco sandals and stumbled upon a miracle: my feet didn’t hurt. What was going on here? A couple of weeks later I went on an overnight backpacking trip and started out hiking in my regular hiking shoes. Less than two miles into the first day, my feet felt like they were breaking in half with every step. Despite the extra weight, I had packed my Chacos so I decided to slip them on. Maybe this will give me some relief. IT DID. I was able to complete the backpacking trip pain-free by hiking the remaining mileage in Chacos. Six months later I was able to do not one, but FOUR back to back half-marathon (13+ mile) hiking days. I hadn’t been able to do that kind of mileage in over a year due to my foot pain.

The Dilemma

Hiking in sandals is risky. I’ve broken toes, been impaled by sticks, and tripped over roots and rocks due to the nature of wearing sandals. I also can’t wear sandals in much of my daily life. My foot pain is not exclusive to hiking. As it stands, I can’t work a 5 hour waitressing shift without being in excruciating pain and hobbling out of the restaurant at the end of my shift, no matter what shoes I wear. I’m not allowed to wear sandals on the floor, so I’m forced to suffer through the pain every single day. I’m going to school to be a nurse and I’ll be on my feet for 12 hours at a time, again not allowed to wear sandals. I’m almost in tears writing this thinking about how bad my feet are going to hurt and that, as of right now, I’ve not been able to find any other shoe that helps control the pain.

I’ve tried so many different brands of athletic shoes, hiking boots, shoes specifically for people who are on their feet all day, all to no avail. The ONLY shoes I can put on my feet that alleviate my pain are Chaco sandals. I can be hobbling around after work and slip my Chacos on when I get to the car and it’s instant relief.

The plea for help

The point of this post is to beg and plead for a closed-toe shoe that mimics the structure and support of the classic Chaco sandal footbed. I am desperate. There is almost no limit to what I would pay for such a shoe. I have tried some of Chaco’s other shoes and, while they are better than a lot of shoes I’ve tried, I still cannot walk in them all day, pain free. Something isn’t the same.

Someone out there, either at Chaco or elsewhere on the web, knows why these shoes work so well for my feet and knows the solution to my problem. If you’re from Chaco, can you please make me a closed-toe shoe? Since October 2016, I have hiked almost exclusively in Chaco sandals. Rain or shine, warm or cold, even in snow: I hike in Chacos. I’ve knocked out hundreds of miles in them, including recently summiting a 14ker in Colorado. I’ve kayaked a couple hundred miles in them as well. I sport a year round Chaco tan. I recommend them to everyone. Thank you for making such an incredible shoe, but I really really need it in a closed-toe version.

And if you can’t make me a shoe, can you tell me what to look for in a shoe from another company that would provide the same comfort and relief? Is there any other shoe in the world that will relieve my foot pain like a Chaco Sandal?

PLEASE SEND HELP.

-Tink