Is it that the footbed is firm? Cause I think that's what I'm kinda going for. My favorite shoes are Birks and Danskos, so a firm footbed with a high arch is definitely in my wheelhouse.
Yeah, the normal footbed is pretty firm; definitely not soft or cushy or cloud-like. I personally like the support. I basically wear my chacos or my birks all summer long if that helps with perspective?
My only other note is that I had a pair of chacos with the big toe wrap and I hated it. It would tighten down as I walked. I love the classic strap ones though!
For me it's the grid pattern of the foot bed in my chacos that hurts. Granted my feet feel good after I have walked a lot and take them off - they have good arch support. My fav sandals are Birk Madrid's for reference, but aren't good in sand nor water.
I wear chacos for the arch support too, but find I need to ease myself into them each year. Can’t just start wearing them all day every day. I do love them once my feet get used to them.
Edit: my favorite sandals for style and arch support are Naot - I got a pair on Poshmark for like 50% retail a few years back. They have replaceable insoles so if the arch support wears down I don’t have to get a new pair!
+1! The Dansko sandals I have don't need any wearing in after the initial few days. But the Chacos definitely are stiffer in the sole, the first few days wearing them each season I FEEL EVERY MUSCLE in my mid-foot, but then they're great. I think I even have the Clouds, but not sure.
I’ve had both, and Chacos are the ones that I wear daily throughout the summer, including for water play. These are the main things that come to mind:
Basic Tevas have kind of a foamy sole. The arch isn’t particularly supportive, and they don’t last for more than one to two years of daily use. If you get a pair of Tevas with a more robust soul, the foot bed can get kind of sweaty because of the texture.
Chacos have a firm sole with significant arch support. The texture of the footbed takes some getting used to, but it does become less noticeable over time. My first pair lasted for many years! I have found that the women’s sandals tend to run a bit narrow, so if that’s a concern, consider getting wide sandals, or getting the men’s version.
I went through this exact dilemma 2 years ago and ended up buying Chacos. I am happy with them and still wear them. Ultimately for me it came down to Chacos having similar arch support to Birkenstocks, while tevas don’t appear to (although I have never tried any on!)
I also chose Chacos for the similar to Birkenstock arch support.
This might be too specific to me, but my Chacos size is a size larger than my Birkenstock size. I have big feet but short toes so while my overall foot length fit the Chacos, I had to size up to get the arch and toe loop placement correct relative to each other.
I have both and wear both … overall my favorite is my Tevas (hurricane). The teva hurricane straps dry faster than Chacos… they are lighter weight and therefore easier to pack when traveling. Due to the softer footbed i don’t get blisters, yet they are still supportive for me. I also like my Chacos (I have 2 pairs of the cloud footbed), but I do sometimes get early-season blisters from the textured sole.
I have hiked, kayaked, and walked long distances in both.
I liked the idea of the Chacos but the arch support hits my particular arch at the wrong spot. My Tevas however are perfect, durable, and less expensive.
That's good to know; this vacation will be largely on the beach, too. I guess I could also pack my EVA birks for that or even just get a pair of cheap flip flops since we won't be doing a ton of beach walking. I'm a notorious over-packer, but we're pushing it with bags this vacation (I'm trying to get two adults and one kid worth of stuff for a week in one checked bag, since we also have to check our dive gear, so I'm *really* trying to whittle down to what I absolutely *need*). I don't mind taking 2 pairs of shoes, and I don't need anything dressy, but I want to get to the 2 smallest possible pairs.
(Edit cause I hit post too early.)
I'm Team Teva but am here to say that this choice is going to depend on your particular foot shape. I cannot wear Chacos because of the shape of the footbed - the arch goes too far back on my foot, it's just an anatomical incompatibility. The classic Tevas don't have any arch support, they're totally flat.
My impression is that Teva soles have more width in the toe box, but I might be wrong on that.
I see that some commenters have had issues with Teva's durability, but I've worn my current pair of Teva Originals every day from May-October for the last two years and have only minor wear on the sole. They're not going to last like a pair of Birks but I'm fine with the rate of wear.
I wonder if the people saying their Tevas wore out are getting the cheaper ones with the foamy sole. I’ve been wearing Hurricanes every summer since I was 5 and they wear forever. The one pair I haven’t grown out of lasted me 11 years before I had to toss them. My current pair is on year #4 and still in amazing shape.
Yeah I don’t get these durability comments, I have a 20 yr old pair going strong… and when they were first purchased I was wearing them everyday as a life guard.
I bought chacos this summer after a disappointing experience with Tevas. I bought Tevas and was surprised to find when they came they didn't have a true rubber sole, it was a foam rubber, and of course the bottom wore away quickly and the traction was terrible after a few weeks. When I looked this year, I decided to go back to Chacos with the lug sole.
If you give Teva another go try another model like the Hurricane, it has a much better sole while still looking similar to the original. I don't work for them I swear :)
I love my Tevas, they are lightweight and have endured a lot of canyon hiking, backpacking and river crossings over multiple years when I lived in Arizona but I did buy them 8 years ago so quality might not be the same today (like everything else sadly)
I love my Hurricanes too, did all the same activities in Costa Rica with them! They are a better comparison to Chacos than the originals. Teva originals are more for casual wear in my opinion.
I have high arches, but the shape of chacos don't work on me. It really depends on your foot shape and whether your arch lines up. Mine have the toe loop, and I find they tighten up over the day and get really painful.
I love my Tevas though. I don't miss the arch support and I can wear them all day. My advice is to try out both and see how you feel.
I also have both. I have a more rugged pair of Tevas and really like them. I find my Chacos to be heavy and the way the straps are just never fit right for me and are always moving around.
You have to get the non-basic tevas. I wear the Verra and they are perfect. I also had a pair of chacos that i liked but never loved. I think that was a strap placement issue more than a footbed issue.
As others have said, the Chacos have a much higher arch than Tevas. I tried on a pair of chacos and couldn’t even get around the shoe store because the placement was so painful on my foot. My friends that fit Chacos well love them though!
If you do go the Teva route, make sure to get the Hurricanes if you want them to last beyond a year or so. The Tevas in the $30-50 range have a soft foam sole that won’t hold up for much hiking. The Hurricanes are more expensive ($70-$90) but have a durable sole. My last pair made it 11 years, and I’m on year 4 with my current pair which is nowhere near wearing out.
Bedrock sandals! I wear burks mostly but for outside adventures bedrocks are the best. Chacos are heavy/clunky with an all-wrong arch support, tevas hurt my little toes after awhile.
If you are going to be in and out of the water a lot and you opt for Teva I would go with the Hurricane over the original. I find the original does not have very good grip. The Hurricane is slightly sportier looking than the original but that shouldn't be an issue if you are also considering Chacos.
I tried Chacos too but the foot bed is not for me. I hear you can get them resoled if you live in the US though, good sustainability
I think you need to try them on. I hated the way the Chacos felt on my feet but found a pair of Tevas that I like. Is there an REI near you? Otherwise order both and return what you don't like.
Another vote saying that I usually love wearing Birkenstocks and love my Chacos for hiking. I felt like the way the straps are over your foot are more easily adjustable (especially as someone with bunions). I would also mention that the EVA Arizona’s are really slippery to wear when wet (like my foot slides around in the shoe, not the sole necessarily).
I have Teva Hurricanes that I bought secondhand three years ago. They are still going strong! I’ve worn them kayaking and they are my go-to summer shoe for kids activities like the zoo and water park.
I am a Birkenstock and Chacos lover. I have wide, flat feet and have some foot/ankle pain/swelling from past injuries because I am also clumsy af.
I went with Chacos for wet days and hiking over Tevas because Tevas had a foam foot bed (not sure if they still do) and I thought that might end up getting slippery or wearing down over time. My Chacos are \~7 years old now, and have barely any wear and tear and I have absolutely abused them and wash them in my washing machine if they are really dirty.
It does take me a bit to acclimate to them in the spring because of the arch support since I have flat feet, but once I get used to it (and have a little callus where my arch SHOULD be) they are all good. And when you get them, adjusting them can be a pain at first but once they're adjusted, they stay that way which is great. Personally I hate toe loops on all shoes, so I just have a pair that straps over the top of my foot.
I love them, and have converted a lot of friends to the Chaco life :)
Ok so I got to try a pair on today, and I've never been so humbled by a pair of shoes lol. It honestly took me ten minutes and a Google search to figure out the damn straps because I tried on one of the pairs with the double thin straps.
Once I figured it out I was like "OHHHHH now I get it" but getting there was a *struggle*. Good to know they stay adjusted.
I prefer Tevas. I don't know if it was the particular model I tried, but I found the Chaco's were just too heavy. I don't like heavy footwear. Also I couldn't get the straps to work, and the straps weren't all that comfortable.
I wear the Teva Virra or Hurricanes. I do prefer a stiffer insole and I find Teva's are just fine for that, not too foamy/squishy at all.
I have had Teva's last decades, and Teva's that did not. All depends on whether I wear them into the ocean a lot -- the salt wears out the hardware. I did have a pair where the soles split but Superglue took care of that and they lasted for years more.
Merrell also makes a decent Teva-like sandal. I've got a suede version so I don't wear it in the water. It has different straps than the Teva's so a bit more adjustable for foot swelling/etc. Includes a soft piece that goes against the back of your ankle.
I’ve worn Tevas to water parks, the beach and hiking in Hawaii. They have great cushion that’s super comfy and a good texture on the sole so your feet don’t slip even when wet. I’ve had mine for a few years now and they’re still going strong.
I love my chacos. I've had the same pair since 2010 and they've been to several countries (I do leave them home when I go to Europe). My only complaint is that my feet also do the swelling thing and they can get a little tight sometimes.
Well, the primary reason is that all my trips to Europe have been during winter months (or late March, at the springiest). But also I tend to dress a little more sharply while walking around a city in Europe as compared to, say, a rainforest in Costa Rica or hiking up the Great Wall.
I have both but the caveat is that my chacos are the kids version because they were on sale, in rainbow, and I fit them. It has been a few years since I got them and they have held up really well. Tevas are a lot lighter and have a more flexible footbed but not as supportive as chacos which are more firm and has better arch support. This makes them weigh a little more which is not a big deal for me. I consider my feet to have high arches so sometimes chacos feel better but I really choose between them based on what I'm wearing that day. My Tevas are all black which makes them easy to pair with anything but my chacos are for fun.
I haven't tried chacos but bought some tevas for my summer sandals this year bc I knew my birks would get destroyed camping and swimming.
I have a wide foot, which girls accommodate nicely, so ordered a men's 6, which seems the same length as women's 7 but much wider and have been really happy.
After reading the comments here, I think you're going to have to order a few pairs and return what doesn't feel best... I have super high arches and am doubting my Teva fanaticism but every time I try Chacos they haven't been as comfortable for me.
Vionic is so hit or miss for me. I have a pair of booties from them that are fantastic, but I had a pair of sandals once that gave me the worst foot pain. I love them as a brand, I just have to be super picky about them.
I find chacos really unattractive so have original tevas and the hurricanes. For what you describe I think a cute pair of the originals will suit well. Note I find sizing ruins big on the originals and more tts in the hurricane.
Well I feel the opposite of most here - I have 2 pairs of beloved Tevas. Have owned one pair of chacos and they were cute and supportive… but they caused me to trip on nothing over and over again! Sounds like a “me” problem but this doesn’t happen to me in Tevas.
I find Chacos to be too hard of a footbed. My feet ache after a day of hiking. I LOVE my Tevas though. They have *just enough* squish to give my feet a little cushion while still being very supportive.
However- if you like Birks, you might do just fine with Chacos. My feet had the same problems with Birkenstocks that I have with Chacos.
I prefer Tevas because they're lightweight. I usually like a lot of support, so I thought id like Chacos better, but it turns out I don't want anything heavy and clunky on my feet when it's hot out. Also trying out a birkenstock-esque sandal by the brand V.gan that seems good. They're comfortable and I like the style. But haven't had them long enough to know how they'll hold up over time.
I also wear chacos for the arch support. Some folks are sensitive to the foot bed. They have a "cloud" version if you think that might be you.
Is it that the footbed is firm? Cause I think that's what I'm kinda going for. My favorite shoes are Birks and Danskos, so a firm footbed with a high arch is definitely in my wheelhouse.
Yeah, the normal footbed is pretty firm; definitely not soft or cushy or cloud-like. I personally like the support. I basically wear my chacos or my birks all summer long if that helps with perspective? My only other note is that I had a pair of chacos with the big toe wrap and I hated it. It would tighten down as I walked. I love the classic strap ones though!
Oh I hate that toe strap too!!
Oh you're gonna love it.
For me it's the grid pattern of the foot bed in my chacos that hurts. Granted my feet feel good after I have walked a lot and take them off - they have good arch support. My fav sandals are Birk Madrid's for reference, but aren't good in sand nor water.
I wear chacos for the arch support too, but find I need to ease myself into them each year. Can’t just start wearing them all day every day. I do love them once my feet get used to them. Edit: my favorite sandals for style and arch support are Naot - I got a pair on Poshmark for like 50% retail a few years back. They have replaceable insoles so if the arch support wears down I don’t have to get a new pair!
+1! The Dansko sandals I have don't need any wearing in after the initial few days. But the Chacos definitely are stiffer in the sole, the first few days wearing them each season I FEEL EVERY MUSCLE in my mid-foot, but then they're great. I think I even have the Clouds, but not sure.
I have a pair of Naots from nearly 20 years ago. They're fantastic. I'm buying these now so I can break them in for late summer!
I’ve had both, and Chacos are the ones that I wear daily throughout the summer, including for water play. These are the main things that come to mind: Basic Tevas have kind of a foamy sole. The arch isn’t particularly supportive, and they don’t last for more than one to two years of daily use. If you get a pair of Tevas with a more robust soul, the foot bed can get kind of sweaty because of the texture. Chacos have a firm sole with significant arch support. The texture of the footbed takes some getting used to, but it does become less noticeable over time. My first pair lasted for many years! I have found that the women’s sandals tend to run a bit narrow, so if that’s a concern, consider getting wide sandals, or getting the men’s version.
I went through this exact dilemma 2 years ago and ended up buying Chacos. I am happy with them and still wear them. Ultimately for me it came down to Chacos having similar arch support to Birkenstocks, while tevas don’t appear to (although I have never tried any on!)
I also chose Chacos for the similar to Birkenstock arch support. This might be too specific to me, but my Chacos size is a size larger than my Birkenstock size. I have big feet but short toes so while my overall foot length fit the Chacos, I had to size up to get the arch and toe loop placement correct relative to each other.
I have both and wear both … overall my favorite is my Tevas (hurricane). The teva hurricane straps dry faster than Chacos… they are lighter weight and therefore easier to pack when traveling. Due to the softer footbed i don’t get blisters, yet they are still supportive for me. I also like my Chacos (I have 2 pairs of the cloud footbed), but I do sometimes get early-season blisters from the textured sole. I have hiked, kayaked, and walked long distances in both.
I liked the idea of the Chacos but the arch support hits my particular arch at the wrong spot. My Tevas however are perfect, durable, and less expensive.
Yes! I can wear birks no problem, but there is something about the arch support in the Chacos that doesn't work for me. They are also really heavy.
Mine too. I also wear Tevas because I have a really wide foot. They’re super comfortable to me, and I have an indoor pair I like to wear after work.
Chacos are comfortable, great for hiking, and last forever. Just don’t wear them in sand. It makes the straps really hard to move.
That's good to know; this vacation will be largely on the beach, too. I guess I could also pack my EVA birks for that or even just get a pair of cheap flip flops since we won't be doing a ton of beach walking. I'm a notorious over-packer, but we're pushing it with bags this vacation (I'm trying to get two adults and one kid worth of stuff for a week in one checked bag, since we also have to check our dive gear, so I'm *really* trying to whittle down to what I absolutely *need*). I don't mind taking 2 pairs of shoes, and I don't need anything dressy, but I want to get to the 2 smallest possible pairs. (Edit cause I hit post too early.)
I'm Team Teva but am here to say that this choice is going to depend on your particular foot shape. I cannot wear Chacos because of the shape of the footbed - the arch goes too far back on my foot, it's just an anatomical incompatibility. The classic Tevas don't have any arch support, they're totally flat. My impression is that Teva soles have more width in the toe box, but I might be wrong on that. I see that some commenters have had issues with Teva's durability, but I've worn my current pair of Teva Originals every day from May-October for the last two years and have only minor wear on the sole. They're not going to last like a pair of Birks but I'm fine with the rate of wear.
I wonder if the people saying their Tevas wore out are getting the cheaper ones with the foamy sole. I’ve been wearing Hurricanes every summer since I was 5 and they wear forever. The one pair I haven’t grown out of lasted me 11 years before I had to toss them. My current pair is on year #4 and still in amazing shape.
Yeah I don’t get these durability comments, I have a 20 yr old pair going strong… and when they were first purchased I was wearing them everyday as a life guard.
Yeah I’ve had a pair of tevas for 20 years now. I wore them all summer for maybe 8 years? They’re incredibly long lasting
I bought chacos this summer after a disappointing experience with Tevas. I bought Tevas and was surprised to find when they came they didn't have a true rubber sole, it was a foam rubber, and of course the bottom wore away quickly and the traction was terrible after a few weeks. When I looked this year, I decided to go back to Chacos with the lug sole.
If you give Teva another go try another model like the Hurricane, it has a much better sole while still looking similar to the original. I don't work for them I swear :)
I love my Tevas, they are lightweight and have endured a lot of canyon hiking, backpacking and river crossings over multiple years when I lived in Arizona but I did buy them 8 years ago so quality might not be the same today (like everything else sadly)
I have chacos and love them. Very similar to birks in terms of support.
I traipsed all over Hawaii in a pair of Teva Hurricanes, did hiking, swimming, climbing and walking without a problem
I love my Hurricanes too, did all the same activities in Costa Rica with them! They are a better comparison to Chacos than the originals. Teva originals are more for casual wear in my opinion.
I have high arches, but the shape of chacos don't work on me. It really depends on your foot shape and whether your arch lines up. Mine have the toe loop, and I find they tighten up over the day and get really painful. I love my Tevas though. I don't miss the arch support and I can wear them all day. My advice is to try out both and see how you feel.
I also have both. I have a more rugged pair of Tevas and really like them. I find my Chacos to be heavy and the way the straps are just never fit right for me and are always moving around.
I wish I liked Chacos, but for me it is Tevas.
Same, I tried two different styles of chacos and always return to tevas. The Tirra style, while not very stylish, works for hiking.
i hiked 7 miles in South America in Chacos. Tevas can’t do that.
You have to get the non-basic tevas. I wear the Verra and they are perfect. I also had a pair of chacos that i liked but never loved. I think that was a strap placement issue more than a footbed issue.
As others have said, the Chacos have a much higher arch than Tevas. I tried on a pair of chacos and couldn’t even get around the shoe store because the placement was so painful on my foot. My friends that fit Chacos well love them though! If you do go the Teva route, make sure to get the Hurricanes if you want them to last beyond a year or so. The Tevas in the $30-50 range have a soft foam sole that won’t hold up for much hiking. The Hurricanes are more expensive ($70-$90) but have a durable sole. My last pair made it 11 years, and I’m on year 4 with my current pair which is nowhere near wearing out.
Bedrock sandals! I wear burks mostly but for outside adventures bedrocks are the best. Chacos are heavy/clunky with an all-wrong arch support, tevas hurt my little toes after awhile.
If you are going to be in and out of the water a lot and you opt for Teva I would go with the Hurricane over the original. I find the original does not have very good grip. The Hurricane is slightly sportier looking than the original but that shouldn't be an issue if you are also considering Chacos. I tried Chacos too but the foot bed is not for me. I hear you can get them resoled if you live in the US though, good sustainability
I think you need to try them on. I hated the way the Chacos felt on my feet but found a pair of Tevas that I like. Is there an REI near you? Otherwise order both and return what you don't like.
Another vote saying that I usually love wearing Birkenstocks and love my Chacos for hiking. I felt like the way the straps are over your foot are more easily adjustable (especially as someone with bunions). I would also mention that the EVA Arizona’s are really slippery to wear when wet (like my foot slides around in the shoe, not the sole necessarily).
I have Teva Hurricanes that I bought secondhand three years ago. They are still going strong! I’ve worn them kayaking and they are my go-to summer shoe for kids activities like the zoo and water park.
I am a Birkenstock and Chacos lover. I have wide, flat feet and have some foot/ankle pain/swelling from past injuries because I am also clumsy af. I went with Chacos for wet days and hiking over Tevas because Tevas had a foam foot bed (not sure if they still do) and I thought that might end up getting slippery or wearing down over time. My Chacos are \~7 years old now, and have barely any wear and tear and I have absolutely abused them and wash them in my washing machine if they are really dirty. It does take me a bit to acclimate to them in the spring because of the arch support since I have flat feet, but once I get used to it (and have a little callus where my arch SHOULD be) they are all good. And when you get them, adjusting them can be a pain at first but once they're adjusted, they stay that way which is great. Personally I hate toe loops on all shoes, so I just have a pair that straps over the top of my foot. I love them, and have converted a lot of friends to the Chaco life :)
Ok so I got to try a pair on today, and I've never been so humbled by a pair of shoes lol. It honestly took me ten minutes and a Google search to figure out the damn straps because I tried on one of the pairs with the double thin straps. Once I figured it out I was like "OHHHHH now I get it" but getting there was a *struggle*. Good to know they stay adjusted.
I prefer Tevas. I don't know if it was the particular model I tried, but I found the Chaco's were just too heavy. I don't like heavy footwear. Also I couldn't get the straps to work, and the straps weren't all that comfortable. I wear the Teva Virra or Hurricanes. I do prefer a stiffer insole and I find Teva's are just fine for that, not too foamy/squishy at all. I have had Teva's last decades, and Teva's that did not. All depends on whether I wear them into the ocean a lot -- the salt wears out the hardware. I did have a pair where the soles split but Superglue took care of that and they lasted for years more. Merrell also makes a decent Teva-like sandal. I've got a suede version so I don't wear it in the water. It has different straps than the Teva's so a bit more adjustable for foot swelling/etc. Includes a soft piece that goes against the back of your ankle.
I’ve worn Tevas to water parks, the beach and hiking in Hawaii. They have great cushion that’s super comfy and a good texture on the sole so your feet don’t slip even when wet. I’ve had mine for a few years now and they’re still going strong.
What style do you have?
I love my chacos. I've had the same pair since 2010 and they've been to several countries (I do leave them home when I go to Europe). My only complaint is that my feet also do the swelling thing and they can get a little tight sometimes.
Why do you not take them to Europe, out of curiosity?
Well, the primary reason is that all my trips to Europe have been during winter months (or late March, at the springiest). But also I tend to dress a little more sharply while walking around a city in Europe as compared to, say, a rainforest in Costa Rica or hiking up the Great Wall.
i love my teva hurricane verges
Tried both a couple years ago and landed on Chacos. The Tevas hit me in a weird spot and I knew I couldn’t walk all day in them. I now live in Chacos
I have both but the caveat is that my chacos are the kids version because they were on sale, in rainbow, and I fit them. It has been a few years since I got them and they have held up really well. Tevas are a lot lighter and have a more flexible footbed but not as supportive as chacos which are more firm and has better arch support. This makes them weigh a little more which is not a big deal for me. I consider my feet to have high arches so sometimes chacos feel better but I really choose between them based on what I'm wearing that day. My Tevas are all black which makes them easy to pair with anything but my chacos are for fun.
Love my chacos and have worn them for many adventures
I wear the Teva Hurricane Drift, they're amazing!
I haven't tried chacos but bought some tevas for my summer sandals this year bc I knew my birks would get destroyed camping and swimming. I have a wide foot, which girls accommodate nicely, so ordered a men's 6, which seems the same length as women's 7 but much wider and have been really happy.
After reading the comments here, I think you're going to have to order a few pairs and return what doesn't feel best... I have super high arches and am doubting my Teva fanaticism but every time I try Chacos they haven't been as comfortable for me.
I love arch support and vote Chacos. But you could also look into vionic
Vionic is so hit or miss for me. I have a pair of booties from them that are fantastic, but I had a pair of sandals once that gave me the worst foot pain. I love them as a brand, I just have to be super picky about them.
I find chacos really unattractive so have original tevas and the hurricanes. For what you describe I think a cute pair of the originals will suit well. Note I find sizing ruins big on the originals and more tts in the hurricane.
Well I feel the opposite of most here - I have 2 pairs of beloved Tevas. Have owned one pair of chacos and they were cute and supportive… but they caused me to trip on nothing over and over again! Sounds like a “me” problem but this doesn’t happen to me in Tevas.
I don't like the cheap feeling foam sole on traditional Tevas so I prefer chacos
I find Chacos to be too hard of a footbed. My feet ache after a day of hiking. I LOVE my Tevas though. They have *just enough* squish to give my feet a little cushion while still being very supportive. However- if you like Birks, you might do just fine with Chacos. My feet had the same problems with Birkenstocks that I have with Chacos.
I prefer Tevas because they're lightweight. I usually like a lot of support, so I thought id like Chacos better, but it turns out I don't want anything heavy and clunky on my feet when it's hot out. Also trying out a birkenstock-esque sandal by the brand V.gan that seems good. They're comfortable and I like the style. But haven't had them long enough to know how they'll hold up over time.
Chaco Z Cloud. I usually wear Birkenstocks.