Some people wear sandals with their bare feet, the way the heavens originally decreed. Others prefer to desecrate sandals by wearing socks underneath. If you’re among that blasphemous demographic, the Chaco Z/Ronin wants to save you from the hassle of having to open the sock drawer.
A pair of sandals with built-in socks, it lets you rock the sandals-and-socks look without actually having to wear any socks. Not only will it spare you from another garment to add to the laundry bin, it also halves the amount of time required to put on your footwear, making it an altogether more efficient option for those who refuse to show their bare feet to the world.
The Chaco Z/Ronin, naturally, comes with the same fit and support found in the outfit’s line of beach sandals, so you get the same proven performance in an erstwhile new sandal design. It also uses the same Luvseat footbed, which comes in a podiatrist-certified shape that’s designed for durable wear and long-lasting comfort, ensuring you can walk in the thing all day without punishing your feet. Naturally, it uses the same proprietary Chacogrip outsole compound, which sports a tread design that’s optimized for traction in wet environments, making this ideal for wearing at the beach, by the pool, or those swampy grounds where you spend the day wrestling alligators. Or something. And yes, it’s rugged as heck, ensuring this thing will hold up to whatever the outdoors can throw its way.
The sock-like thing under the sandal, of course, isn’t actually a sock. Instead, it’s a breathable knitted polyester upper that’s actually fused into the footbed, so you won’t be able to lift the edges of your feet the way you normally do when wearing socks-and-sandals. The upper, by the way, has synthetic overlays at strategic points for added structure, all while adding both toe and heel protection, so it’s a lot safer to wear in the trail then erstwhile regular sandals.
While you’re likely to be wearing this near the water, the Chaco Z/Ronin doesn’t appear to be water-resistant in any way. That means, your feet will get wet and sand could get in, so it might be not be the best thing to slip on the next time you spend time in the beach. We don’t see any drain holes, either, so any water that gets in will have to go out slowly through the mesh’s various perforations. Plus, it may be harder to clean than separate socks and sandals, since you can’t just take off the sock part and throw it in the washing machine. If you just want to look like you’re repping the summer while gallivanting around the city, though, we guess this is a whole lot more convenient than going the socks-and-sandals route.
Aesthetically, we think it’s pretty rad. We actually haven’t seen anything like it yet, so we want to cop this just for the novelty alone. Whether it’s a step-up from socks-and-sandals or a disappointing step-down, though, is something that’s still up in the air.
The Chaco Z/Ronin is available now, priced at $130.