text: I've used Chaco products for 10 years, three continents, and in almost a dozen countries. I've used Chaco sandals during that time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, on my feet in some incredibly remote and rugged terrain. I've used Chacos sandals as a surf photographer in Costa Rica where they were constantly soaked with salt water and buried in sand. I'm wearing a pair, right now as I type this, that I've had since 2006, and am about to re-glue to soles to the tread. I think it's safe to say that I know Chaco footwear, and I've liked them more than any other sandal and shoe brand, ever. When it comes to the Outcross Lace Water Shoe, Chaco has disappointed me. Don't get me wrong, they're solidly constructed, the Vibram outsole is sticky, and so far the upper and the lower part of the shoe has stood up to everything a National Park Ranger working in South West Utah can throw at them (wearing a bullet-proof vest, full duty gear, etc.). Yet, the lacing system has me confused. There are so many other brands of shoes and sandals out there using a lacing system that works, and Chaco tried to re-invent the wheel for some reason the way they've designed theirs. I had my Outcross Lace Water Shoes for two weeks, wore them maybe 10 times, and the plastic cinch for the quick laces broke. The way they're designed, when you pull up on the laces to cinch them tight, it stresses the plastic cinch and bends and breaks it, releasing it from the strangely large amount of fabric that keeps it attached to the tongue of the shoe. This means that the tongue of the shoes falls below the lace, and the lace is now up against your foot, chafing terribly if not noticed and corrected consistently. Ultimately, I like the shoes, but the lacing system is terrible, and I'll probably just end up ripping the laces out and installing some after-market laces or something, because these are awful. Seriously, though, other than the laces, everyone who wears Keen's around me asks where I got my shoes,and compliments that they don't look weird like Keen's, and have better grip and utility climbing/hiking/working on a boat than Keen's.