For those of you are wondering why I care where Chacos are made (or even better, you don't know what the HECK Chacos even are), let me explain.
Chacos are the essential "home away from home" as far as footwear is concerned. Imagine a pair of sandals with a black rubber sole and colorful, woven straps. They're comfortable (read: they support your arch, unlike the uber popular summer footwear, the flip flop), versatile, and the best summer shoes around. Drew says they look hippie - if you live in Asheville, this is a true statement. Chacos DO = hippie in my neck of the woods. Where them anywhere else and you'll just be a normal American. ;) Now picture any occasion, and I'll bet you someone, somewhere, has worn Chacos to it. I was surfing a friend's photos today and lo and behold, the groom was sporting a pair. Crazy. I wear them to work; around town; hiking and camping; in the water and out of it. When they get dirty (yes, these shoes are not only allowed to get dirty, they expect it), I throw them into the wash machine with a load of jeans. Simple.
They are amazing shoes. Enough said.
They used to be made proudly in Colorado, USA. I would sometimes think to myself how awesome it was that one pair of shoes in my closet was made right here in this country. Unfortunately, I've learned that Chaco sandal production has been moved to China as of July 31, 2008. All their other shoes and paraphernalia have been Chinese-made from day one. :(
I have a pair of Chacos. I bought them five years at for $100 (shockingly expensive, I know, but at this point, the math comes out to $20/year - a bargain!) and I still faithfully pull them out in the spring and wear them into the fall. I wanted to get Drew a pair ("hippy-ize" him, if you will). Our boycott says no. This is where the creative juices start flowing and I think, "Maybe used?"
So can you actually buy a pair of "used" new Chacos? That's what we did with buying our condo...it was "used" as in we weren't the first owners, but the first owners never lived in it and just bought it as an investment property; therefore, new!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely find some used Chacos - throw 'em in the wash and they'll be good as new - but I think it would be tough to specifically look for someone who got a pair, hated them, and decided to sell. There definitely ARE people like that - here's to hoping I find a few!
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