User:Mp3528/sandbox

History
Mark Paigen was a whitewater rafting and fly fishing guide which meant he spent his days in the water. He decided to create a sandal in 1989 that allowed his feet to dry in the sun so he wouldn't end his days with wrinkled feet. His goal was to produce a sandal that also provided support to the foot. He created a pair of custom sandals that included a continuous pull-through strap, synthetic material, and a buckle instead of velcro. The first pair of shoes was sold to a client of his that went on a 3-day float with Mark. He traced their feet on paper and built a custom pair for $30.

He started to build the sandals in a spare room in his own home. He drove into Glenwood Springs to a shop called Summit Canyon Mountaineering. He showed the owner what he made and the owner bought the product to sell in the shop. Because Mark needed to make more sandals, in 1991 he decided to molding each sandal out of polyurethane. Although this was more expensive, it was much more efficient.

In the early 90s, Mark started to get some feedback from his customers which motivated him to make some changes to the shoe. Some people wanted a sandal without their big toe strapped in. Mark decided to get some help from a Pedorthist who told him that the right kind of arch support would keep the foot aligned and would prevent the foot from sliding off.

The sandal was soon ready to be put on the market. He decided to name the first sandal "Z/1," because his friend used a cheesy French accent and told him that the sandals were "Zee One!"

River Protection
Chaco is focused on the protection of rivers and riverside lands throughout the United States because rivers are the reason the sandals are being made today. Chaco has donated $10,000 to river protection organization American Rivers for its 5,000 Miles of Wild campaign, which aims to protect 5,000 new miles of rivers in the United States.

Bear Ears
After the suggestion was made to shrink Utah's Bear Ears National Monument, the company began to fight against the changes. Chaco created a limited-edition version of the Z/Sandal with 100 percent net proceeds being given to a pair of non-profit organizations that fight to protect the monument. This launch was a success. This is such an important movement to the company because the founder, Mark Paigen, tested his first pair of sandals in what is now Bear Ears National Monument.