Chaco vs. Teva — we tested the 2 most popular hiking sandals to see how they compare

Written by Connie Chen; edited by Amir Ismael

Updated

2024-07-05T16:14:35Z

tevas vs chacos — The author's Chacos (left) and Tevas (right). Connie Chen/Business Insider

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If you're looking for the best walking sandals for your summer adventures, you'll likely end up with two final contenders: Teva and Chaco.

These popular brands were both born out of necessity during the 1980s. Two river guides, one in Arizona and the other in Colorado, needed comfortable walking shoes that would stay put and prevent their toes from wrinkling into prunes every day.

They had these basic needs in common, but from there the river splits. The sandal designs they ultimately came up with look and feel quite different. We like and have covered both Teva and Chaco sandals, delving into their history, design, and impact on the fashion and outdoor industries.

Now, here's a direct comparison that will let you easily decide which hiking sandals are right for you.

We compared the Teva Hurricane XLT 2 Sandals and the Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandals on features like their strap system, footbed, arch design, and color selection in order to help you determine whether you're Team Tevas or Team Chacos.

Strap design and materials

An easy way to tell Tevas and Chacos apart is their strap designs. Teva straps line the sides of your feet while Chaco straps wrap across the tops of your feet.

Teva straps support the tops, sides, and ankles of your feet and have Velcro to allow for fit adjustments. They're made from water-friendly, quick-drying webbing that's made from polyester, nylon, and recycled PET.

Chaco straps include a buckle, criss-cross each other, and are actually one long, continuous strap. This gives your feet the feeling of being wrapped. You adjust the fit at each part of the foot by pulling that area of the strap. They're made from water-friendly, quick-drying polyester jacquard webbing.

Footbed materials and feel

The footbed is what your feet are in contact with all day as you wear these sandals. Here's how the footbeds differ:

Tevas feel soft, smooth, and cushioned.

Chacos have a slightly textured footbed that feels more dry.

Midsole and arch design

Depending on the shape of your feet and the level of support you want, you'll like one brand more than the other.

Tevas have a lower arch and make you feel like you're walking closer to the ground. I have fairly flat feet and found Tevas to be more comfortable than Chacos. The midsole is made from lightweight and flexible EVA foam, which feels cushioned and bouncy.

Chacos have a high arch, with a thicker midsole at the heel than Tevas. If your feet have high arches, they'll be more comfortable in Chacos. The midsole is made from PU foam, which is a little heavier than EVA foam, but has a longer-lasting bounce.

Outsole

While the outsoles have different designs, both Tevas and Chacos provide strong traction, allowing you to walk across all types of terrain — smooth tile, rocky trails, slippery rocks, and more.

Weight

Both shoes are excellent lightweight footwear options that won't weigh you down as you trek miles and miles on your travels or hikes.

Tevas are lighter. One pair weighs 1 pound, 4 ounces.

Chacos are heavier. One pair weighs 1 pound, 5.2 ounces.

Color and pattern options

Sport sandals, like all shoes, can be a reflection of your personal style. You'll be able to choose from a variety of colors and patterns from each brand.

Tevas come in many neutral and bright colors, as well as prints. Some styles are part of limited-edition collections, but if you aren't able to find the one you want on Teva's website, you might have better luck checking another online retailer such as REI.

Chacos also come in many neutral and bright colors, as well as prints. The brand also features limited-edition collections. To ensure your pair never gets mixed up with another person's, you can create a custom pair. This process lets you customize everything from the main strap to the logo badge. You can even upload your own image as a print or add embroidery.

The bottom line

After trying both sandals from Teva and Chaco, we learned that they're both very comfortable and supportive. But you should use the following points to determine which pair you should buy:

Choose Tevas if you have flat or less arched feet, you don't mind Velcro straps, and you want a softer footbed. We also tested the Tevas Zymic and found it to be our favorite comfortable walking sandal, so the brand has proven itself twice as a solid option. Tevas cost less than Chacos at about $75, but you may be able to find them at lower prices during other retailers' sale events.

Teva Men's Hurricane XLT2 Sandal

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Teva Women's Hurricane XLT2 Sandal

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Choose Chacos if you have high arches, like the look of the single-wrapped strap, and want a more "dry" feel. There are also more color and pattern options thanks to the customization feature. Chacos are the more expensive option at $105, but can be found for much less on Amazon or Zappos.

Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandal (Men's)

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Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandal (Women's)

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Connie Chen

Connie Chen is a former senior reporter on the Insider Reviews team, where she led coverage of home textiles, home entertaining, and food and drink. While at Insider, she specialized in all the things that enhance life at home, from the most comfortable bed sheets and fluffy pillows to cool online wine clubs and bartender-approved cocktail shakers. She combined rigorous testing methods, conversations with professionals, and active knowledge of the home and kitchen space to help readers get the most out of their money. When she's not changing duvet covers or washing towels twice a day for articles, she loves talking about and trying the newest snacks, drinks, and food gifts. You can see more of her testing process and other behind-the-scenes of being a product journalist on her Instagram @connayreviews. Connie joined Insider Reviews as an early member in 2017 and has also reported on products and services in the style, tech, fitness, travel, and e-learning spaces, with a particular interest and expertise in emerging startups. She has represented the team at CES and moderated panels on media business and the future of retail. Connie graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in media studies and business administration, which help inform her perspective on and coverage of industry trends, as well as the competitive e-commerce landscape at large. Read some of her work: The 4 best cocktail shakers in 2021 The 7 best women's bathrobes in 2021 The 5 best wine openers and corkscrews we tested in 2021 The 5 best bed sheets we tested in 2021 The 5 best cordless vacuums we tested in 2021 12 direct-to-consumer kitchen startups that are changing the way we shop for cookware and knives 8 tableware startups changing the way we shop for dishes Even chefs experience cooking burnout — here's how they get re-inspired in the kitchen How businesses create successful virtual experiences 50 cookbooks from famous restaurants across the US that will help you recreate their best dishes at home Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test kitchen products.