I was wrong. By about day 3 the shoes had delaminated and on one, the vibram sole was about 1/3 detached from the sandal, making it completely unusable until repaired. Two or three others on the trip were also seeing delamination on their Chacos; including one pair that had been purchased only a week before the trip.
So here’s the good news: When I contacted Chaco, they freely admitted that they had discovered some of their sandals were produced using a “bad batch of glue” that is not holding up. So in addition to promising to repair my sandals at no charge, Chaco offered to reglue a second pair purchased about the same time that has not yet shown the problem. They are even covering the shipping costs!
If you think you may have the same problem, then I would encourage you to call Chaco Customer service. They asked me a few questions about when I thought the sandals were purchased, what color the straps were, etc, to determine whether or not my pair was part of the problem production run, but they did NOT ask me to produce a receipt, which is good because both pairs were gifts and I didn’t have a receipt.
Bottom line is, while I’m disappointed that this problem ever occurred, my faith in Chaco’s is restored and I’m happy that this is a GOOD company that is willing to stand behind their product. If you have a pair of recently purchased Chacos, examine the soles. If you see evidence of a possible problem, call Chaco Customer Service at 970-527-4990 to discuss it with them. It is very clear to me that they want to do right by their customers, and I applaud them for it!
