Our Gumption Gal admits she identifies hiking shoes as being clunky, unbreathable and lacking in grace. In fact, back in the nether regions of her closet, alongside the assortment of other unused equipment lies such a pair of hiking shoes – she has worn them maybe twice in the last ten years.
It’s not that she doesn’t hit the trails. She just prefers to do so in trail running shoes, whether she’s running, hiking or just meandering. Then, with the arrival of Spring, came the fashionable yet utilitarian Vade hiking shoes from Chaco.
Chaco, best known for producing comfortable and supportive flips and sandals, has been expanding their footwear offerings to include trail shoes and boots. The Vade features “mesh and suede uppers, a drop-in PU footbed, with natural contours for fit and comfort from our lightweight LUVSEAT™ platform, two lace options, a lightweight TPU frame, and a no-slip-grip outsole.” Like a breathe of fresh spring air, it’s a new take on a shoe designed to get you out and moving.
To her delight, our Gumption Gal found the Chaco Vade to be lightweight, breathable and dare-she-say attractive. In fact, she felt as comfortable wearing them to the grocery store as she did navigating the hiking trails of the Sierras.
From slick rocks to rough gravel to mud, the nonmarking Vibram® Bulloo rubber outsoles offered versatile, dependable grip for a variety of surfaces and conditions. Our Gumption Gal loved the “Salmon Run” splashes of color offered by the laces and embellishments (for reference, the color is more like the deep red of a wild salmon than the orange of a farm-raised salmon).
Upon first glance, the Vade appears fairly wide, almost too wide to accommodate a more narrow foot. Yet thanks to the Vade’s secure lace-up fit paired with her lightweight Teko hiking socks, the shoes fit comfortably snug. Aiding in her comfort was the shoes’ breathable mesh lining—another reason these aren’t your old-school trail shoes: no sweaty feet.
The Vade’s LUVSEAT™ XO3 platform offers a distinctive fit and feel as well as better arch support than your average shoe – and in the grand scheme of things the PU removable footbed is going to outlast any EVA based footbed you’ve previously owned. So not only is the Vade comfortable, it will remain so for many Spring hikes to come.
Room for Improvement…
For those familiar with the legendary Chaco flips, it’s a fit that will put your feet at ease. For those new to the Chaconian lifestyle, it may take a slight adjustment period. Secondly, while our Gumption Gal wore the shoes over several moderate hikes and found them to be very comfortable, she wondered if the drop in PU footbed will provide enough arch support to go the distance for longer hikes or all-day wear.
Bottom Line…
For our Gumption Gal, the ultimate test of these shoes was traversing up and down the local hiking trails of Northern California with a two-year-old in tow. And how did the Chacos hold up? They served her well, offering a reliable grip on the muddy, gravelly grades all while keeping her feet comfortably secure. In the end, the solid performance and stylish looks so impressed that she’s getting an early start on her spring cleaning and donating her gently-used grandma-esque hiking shoes to her local thrift store.
MSRP: $115
MANUFACTURER: Chaco (www.Chacos.com)
AVAILABILITY: Both men’s and women’s available from Chacos.com and retailers nationwide
SIZES: M’s 7-15; W’s 5-12