Sandals have gotten really popular these last few years. Now, I’m not much of a sandal wearer, but it’s brands like Chaco and Teva that are converting people like me.
It’s mainly due to their ultra-modern designs and their bold styles. Nowadays, sandals have a much higher recognition in the fashion industry. But it’s not like Chaco and Teva make stylish sandals at the expense of versatility or durability.
Most of the models from both brands – example: the Z/1 Customizable sandal from Chaco and the Midform Universal Polaroid from Teva are very stylish, but they’re also SANDALS. What I mean by that is that their unorthodox and stylish design doesn’t come at the expense of the qualities of a regular sandal.
If you’re deciding on which brand is more suited for you, use this comparative analysis as a guide.
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What Can You Expect with Chaco vs Teva?
Chaco and Teva are different. They have some similarities here and there, in that they follow the same upper adjustable strap type of design, but other than that, even just by looking at them side-by-side, there are a lot of differences.
First off, I want to talk durability and hiking prowess. Checo takes the win here. It’s the interesting sole design and toe strap design. This can be seen on the Z/1 Classic Sandals from Checo.
What nobody is disputing with Teva though, are the designs. They’ve been called “the best-looking sandals on the market” way too often, but it makes sense why. Their Original Universal Polaroids are usually the ones referenced for this and a quick glance at them will tell you why. It’s no joke, these sandals are very fashionable.
There are some sandals from Teva that are very practical for hiking, but on average, Chacos are just better, in my humble opinion.
Side-By-Side Comparison – Chaco VS Teva
On top of comparing the sandals, we also wanted to compare other things such as: quality, durability, hiking prowess, designs, price, and some other aspects that might be important to shoppers.
This is a comparison of Chaco and Teva:
| Chaco VS Teva: Sandals Comparison |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | Amazing 5/5 | Very Good 4/5 |
| Hiking Prowess | Amazing 5/5 | Good 3/5 |
| Price | Affordable – $$ | Cheap – $ |
| Designs | Good 4/5 | Amazing 5/5 |
| Shipping | Free on orders above $49.01 | Free on orders above $35 |
| Return Policy | 30-day return policy | 90-day return policy |
| Comfort | Amazing 5/5 | Amazing 5/5 |
| Website: |
NOTE: These scores are median scores and most shouldn’t be taken as facts. They’re based on the experience we had with both sandals and are strictly our opinion.
Teva will be good enough for a lot of people. For me, I was bummed out that I found Chacos better in a lot of ways. This is because I really like the designs of Teva’s sandals and they would’ve been an easy choice if I found them as hiking-friendly and as high-quality as Chacos.
Nevertheless, we’ll also do a head-to-head comparison to see in use-cases scenario which make more sense to buy.
Chaco Review
How Chaco came to be is an interesting story. Mark Paigen the original creator of the Chacos was fed up with how uncomfortable shoes can be for outdoor adventuring. While he experienced wet shoes, the others around him were wearing Teva sandals.
He came up with the idea to use different materials than leather in sandals, so that his sandals can be quick-drying, durable, and able to take on every terrain imaginable. Oh, and having synthetic materials instead of leather was still a new thing back then, in the 1980s.Nevertheless, while the company’s goals were first to make the most practical sandal ever, the company has now expanded on their mission.
Nowadays, it’s not just about being the most practical sandal on the market, but being stylish at the same time. The company is definitely hopping on the sandal trend, the same way Teva does.
But the thing I like with Chaco is the fact that you can find different sandals based on what you’ll use them for. For example, the Cloud X sandals are perfect for walking, but you might want to consider the Z/1 Classics for urban life.
Alright, back to the important stuff.
Chacos aren’t the best-looking sandals ever made. For some people, the designs are cool, but for the majority, not really. But in my opinion, Chacos aren’t about that. Chacos are about withstanding the worst conditions imaginable.
Being durable, being comfortable, being quick-drying, are all the things that Chaco sandals are trying to achieve, and what they’re doing seems to be working.
But there are designs that just click for a lot of people. Examples include the Customizable ZX/2 Sandals, the Customizable Z/1 Sandals, and the Z/1 Classic, just to name a few.
With that out of the way, here are the pros and cons to with Chaco sandals:
PROS
- Amazing sole design
- Quick-drying
- Suited for different types of adventures and urban life
- Comfy
- Very durable
CONS
- Not the most stylish sandals
Teva Review
Teva was born somewhere around the same time as Chaco. The story is as interesting as Mark Paigen’s story, but I’ll just get straight down to the facts.
“Teva” is Hebrew for “NATURE”. So, the companies roots aren’t that different from Chaco. Furthermore, as I said before, the scores in the comparison are just a median of all of the sandals both brands have to offer.
Thing is, you can find some sandal models like the Hurricane Verge which are perfect for adventuring. Comfortable, practical, and good for hiking. But the majority of the models are now following the fashion trend.
But don’t get me wrong, I love them, they look stunning. Plus, they’ve made different models of their best-selling sandals, the Universal Polaroids. So, some of their Polaroids have different soles, sizes, composition, it’s interesting.
The main takeaway is that you can find both sandals with good hiking prowess but also some urban and fashionable sandals. But with Teva, in my opinion, it comes at an expense of one or the other. Meaning, the urban ones are not really optimized for adventuring and the hiking sandals are usually not that good looking.
But I’m sure that there are some which have both qualities. For me, I just haven’t found them yet.
So, here’s a recap of the pros and cons for Teva:
PROS
- Highly fashionable
- Good value
- Both hiking and urban sandals
- Flexible return policy
- Free shipping on most sandals
CONS
- Practicality comes at the expense of design or vice-versa
Head-To-Head – Chaco VS Teva
If you haven’t found a clear answer yet it’s because there isn’t one per se. But there are certain scenarios in which in my opinion, you should pick one over the other.
I think Chaco is the better OVERALL option. This is just my opinion, but the reason for it is because: There’s a better mixture of fashion to practicality, my Chaco sandals felt more high-quality, and felt durable enough to withstand a lot of conditions.
As for Teva, I already made it clear that I like them more. However, while I like the style a lot and models like the Universal Polaroids make me want to reconsider, they’re just not as good as Chacos overall for me.
But the prices are lower with Teva, albeit by a small amount. So, there’s that. But still, the prices for both brands I think its representative of what the customer is getting at both brands.
The Verdict: Direct-To-Consumer Sandals
While their roots and goals might have been the same in the early days, Chaco and Teva have branched out quite a lot. There are a lot of differences between them, but for what it’s worth, both have impressive sandals.
As I said, for me Chaco is overall the superior sandal. This is not a median, I just found that the quality was better, the sandals were more comfortable, and they felt like they can take on some harsh environments.
Teva is amazing if you’re looking for an urban sandal, but there’s not really a good mixture of performance-to-design.
There are Teva sandals which are also purely hiking-focused and extremely versatile, but you do compromise on the design. But it’s true, some people may find them even more fashionable than Chaco. For the majority though, I don’t think that’s the case.
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