Chaco Z/Cloud 2 - Women's Review

The Chaco Z/Cloud 2 is a fully strapped adventure sandal designed to keep up with you on even your wildest warm-weather adventures. It features a sole made of non-marking ChacoGrip rubber, a LUVSEAT PU footbed, and a women's-specific LUVSEAT dual-density PU midsole. The straps are made of polyester jacquard webbing, and a size 7 weighs 18.2 ounces. It comes in medium and wide widths and a staggering array of colors and patterns that change each year — and you can even upload your own image to create a customized pair.

Comfort

The Z/Cloud 2 has all the right attributes to keep your feet comfortable on even the longest days — as long as you don't have flat feet or low arches. With robust arch support, these sandals have a great ergonomic shape. The textured footbed is a favorite for our testers with sensitive feet, and we enjoy the contoured shape that hugs the feet in all the right places, like custom insoles in a sandal.

The Z/Cloud 2 is built on the podiatrist-certified LUVSEAT™ footbed, offering orthopedic-level support that goes beyond basic cushioning. Its contoured arch cradles the midfoot to promote healthy alignment, reduce fatigue, and ease pressure on joints, especially helpful for those with flat feet or plantar fasciitis. One of our testers comments, “I have high arches and love how these sandals act like orthopedic insoles. I could thru-hike in these and my feet do not feel fatigued after a full day carrying a heavy pack.” Paired with a soft top layer of Cloud cushioning and a secure toe loop, we appreciate how this sandal delivers a rare combo of arch support and biomechanical precision, making it a go-to for long days on your feet or uneven terrain.

Of course, a fair bit of the Z/Cloud 2 comfort is also tied to their adjustability (which we discuss more below). The webbing straps are soft and pliable, without any scratchiness or sharp edges, and the width provides excellent support without feeling oppressive. Even when wet, the straps are still comfortable to wear. Rather than giving an out-of-the-box level of instant comfort, you have to fine-tune the straps to a personalized fit. But with the right strap adjustment, this sandal is very comfortable. We tested this model with the Cloud soles, which are meant to be softer than the Classic soles. The soles are thick and less flexible than many other sandal soles we've tested, and they're also some of the heaviest footwear in this lineup. This feeling is a bit unique and can take some getting used to, but the extra stiffness and support work wonders when carrying a heavy pack or crossing particularly challenging terrain.

Traction

It's in this arena that the Z/Cloud 2 sandals are outstanding. They have large lugs on the bottoms of their soles, made of non-marking ChacoGrip rubber. During our testing and over the past decade-plus of professional wear, we remain impressed with all the places this sole gives us traction — whether inside wet inflatable rafts and along wet docking or scrambling up and down gravely hillsides and over slippery boulders. When faced with challenging terrain, we trust no pair of sandals more than a sturdy pair of Chacos.

While Chaco is not the only brand producing adventure sandals with excellent tread, it stands out for its superior traction in the footbed. The Chaco Z/Cloud 2 features a ChacoGrip™ rubber outsole designed with 3.5mm lugs that provide grip on various surfaces, from slick slot canyons to muddy creek beds. The lug pattern strikes a balance between grip and flexibility, allowing the sandal to move naturally with your foot while maintaining a secure hold on uneven terrain. Additionally, it offers traction for sweaty and wet feet, enhanced by an impressive strap system and contoured footbed. The close-knit diamond pattern provides your bare foot with something to grip while walking.

Stability

This is another area where Chaco excels. The zig-zagging straps of the Z/Cloud 2 crisscross the feet, providing a great foundation. Some folks hate the feel of the toe loop (which is what the “2” in the name denotes), but it's hard to overstate just how much stability this toe loop adds to the sandal. We've directly compared these to the Chaco Z/1 Classic (effectively the same sandal, but without the toe loop), and the difference is indisputable. By anchoring your big toe against the footbed, the Z/Cloud 2 combines barefoot stability with anti-fatigue support.

The design of the footbed plays a crucial role in providing stability. On either side of the heel, the anchor points for the straps connect to elevated sections of the footbed. This creates two small “walls,” one on each side of your heel, which help secure your foot in place and prevent it from sliding within the sandal. Additionally, the footbed is contoured, curving down at the ball of the foot and rising up into the arch. If your foot fits this shape (and you don't have flat feet), these contours enhance security, ensuring that the sandals stay firmly attached to your feet without slipping, even when they are wet and you are navigating a steep incline.

Adjustability

The adjustment system for these sandals is quite comprehensive. If this is your first time wearing Chaco sandals, they may feel a bit strange and confusing. The multiple straps that run across the feet and toes are actually one continuous strap that goes through the footbed. This means that when you pull on one part of the strap, another section becomes shorter. This design allows for nearly all aspects of the sandals to be adjustable, with the exception of the fixed heel strap. No matter your foot shape, you can customize the strap system until it feels just right.

This process can be challenging. Even for the veteran Chaco wearers on our team, a new pair of Z/Cloud 2 takes some trial and error. It's not a simple process that you should expect to do once and forget. It can take weeks to figure out the exact right combination of loose here and tight there that gives you the stability you crave and the comfort you need. But if you're willing to commit to the process, the rewards are great.

Versatility

There's practically no limit to the types of activities we will wear the Z/Cloud 2 for. Over the years, we've worn these sandals on backpacking trips and 25+ mile day hikes, guiding rafting excursions and swimming rapids, scrambling over boulders, and crossing swift streams. They're built for hardcore adventuring and have the versatile features and impressive durability needed to keep up.

The “Chaco style” has evolved into its own distinct entity, which some people love and others aren't fans of. It comes in both medium and wide sizes. Chaco still doesn't sell these in half sizes, but we have yet to find anyone who couldn't find a whole-sized pair to fit them.

If you love their functionality, it's practically guaranteed that you can find a pair of Z/Cloud 2 in a color you like. Not only are these sandals offered in an astonishing array of colors and patterns that change each year, but you can also customize your pair by selecting your own webbing colors — or even uploading a photo to be printed directly onto the straps. No matter what color combos or intricate patterns you choose, the Z/Cloud 2 will bring an “adventure chic” vibe to your wardrobe.

Should You Buy the Chaco Z/Cloud 2?

If you want a pair of sandals that can stay put on your feet, keep you upright when crossing challenging surfaces, provide comfort on even the longest days, and last through years of intense and frequent adventuring, the Chaco Z/Cloud 2 are those sandals. They're comfortable for low-key and urban explorers as well — in fact, the only people that we recommend “try before you buy” are people with flat feet or very low arches.

What Other Sandals Should You Consider?

For the hardiest and most rugged adventure sandals around, the Z/Cloud 2 is our top pick. Not a fan of the toe loop? The Chaco Z/1 are essentially the same sandal, just with a different strap configuration. We also love the Chaco Bodhi, which uses a lighter sole and has a more minimalist — and more stylish — fit and function. For a truly minimalist option, the Bedrock Cairn Evo offers great traction with minimalist straps. But if you need a sandal that can keep up with you through almost any adventure, the Chaco Z/Cloud 2 has you covered.