Two years ago I went on a trip to Belize. I lived in the jungle for three weeks while earning my Wilderness First Responder certification. One of the items on the packing list was Chacos. When I first purchased my pair I was slightly horrified by the chunky black soles and how practical they looked. I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they were and when I returned from my trip I proceeded to wear my Chacos around my town not thinking much of it anymore. After the relentless taunting of family and friends I retired the Chacos to the back of my closet, where they sat awaiting my next adventure into nature.
Chacos were not on my list of shoes to bring to college, but once I got here I was shocked by the number of people who proudly strutted about in them. When did it become cool to wear Chacos? How had I missed it?
Chacos used to be the way to tell the difference between a camper and a glamper. The serious granola, earthy type who genuinely take pleasure in the challenges of spending lengthy periods of time in nature versus the day hiker who comes back to a lodge at the end of the day to enjoy a meal prepared by a professional chef and a freshly made bed.
The increasingly common sight of Chacos began when the nature lovers of the world returned from a trek and wore their colorful strappy sandals around town as a trophy of their granola status. This style was soon picked up by the glampers of the world who wanted to seem as hardcore as the traditional dawners of Chacos. The trend blew up and it is normal to see people wearing Chacos who have probably never attempted more than a day hike.
How could these practical shoes become popular fashion? What could possibly be the cause of this transition? Hipsters. They are the people that link the granola to the rest of the population. They wore Chacos “before they were cool” and then came the people who wanted to be hipsters and then it trickled down to the general public.
They have become popular fashion in a way in which the Chaco creators probably never dreamed. They can be seen in combination with a dress, on a sorority girl, and even on a walk to class on college campuses. Can Chacos still be considered granola if the style has been taken over by glampers?
