Chaco Zaagh Baa Nurl Shoe Review
Zaagh Baa Nurl in Chocolate Brown
Winter is right around the corner. What shoes are you going to turn to when the snow and slop invades the sidewalks? Boots are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you don’t need all of the extra protection that a boot offers. Slip-on clogs often fit the bill; as they are easy as pie to slip on and off, yet offer some weather protection and decent traction. Chaco’s burly Zaagh Baa Nurl slip-ons, for women, fill many of your wet weather needs thanks to seam taping that seals every possible water entry point and Vibram® Icetrek Nurl Outsole, which is non-marking and provides the same great traction you have grown to know with your Chaco sandals.
As an avid Chaco sandal wearer, I anticipated the delivery of my first Chaco shoes. For starters, I was impressed with the craftsmen-ship of these clogs; each seam is tightly sewn, with the addition of Chaco seam tape, as mentioned above. The leather is soft, yet durable, and feels that it may last for many seasons of wear and tear. I tested the clogs out in Sienna, a light tan color (photo below) and found that after a few days of wear, little imperfections, such as scuffs, showed quite easily on the soft leather. Now I don’t mind the worn-in look at all, but for those of you looking for shiny-perfect clogs, than Sienna may not be the color for you. My husband has a pair of Chaco shoes in the chocolate brown, featured above, and they are quite dark and eliminate the scuffing issues.
Zaagh Baa Nurl in Sienna
The Zaag Baa clogs are easy to get on and off thanks to a “Stretch Gore”. In lay-mans terms, there is a small cut out in the leather that has been replaced with a stretchy fabric about 2 cm long on the inside of the shoe (photo below). Once on my feet, I instantly fell in love with shearling lining; thus making these clogs feel like a blend between bedroom slipper and shoe. The shearling helps keep your toes nice and warm, with or without socks! After about 2 months of wear, I haven’t noticed any pilling or clumping, or any obvious odors, for that matter. If you don’t like or want the shearling lining, check out the Zaagh Gunnison.
The sizing of these shoes is true to size. I wear a plain size 9 in Chaco sandals and found the size 9 shoes to be the appropriate length. For those of you with a wider foot, these shoes may be a bit to narrow in the toe box region. As you would expect, the Zaagh Baa Nurl clogs feature a comfy-yet supportive foot bed, similar in feel to their sandals. One big drawback with these clogs is that they kind of flip and flop on your foot as you walk. This, I believe is a result of the “Stretch Gore” being a bit too generous and giving with each step and the weight of each clog. These are slip-ons and I would expect some give with each step, but the Zaagh Baa’s give more than Merrell and Sorrel clogs that we have tested with similar designs. This movement makes these clogs feel heavier than they really are; a size 7 weighs in at 13.5 ounces, while Merrell’s Jungle Moc weigh 1 lb 6 ounces/pair.
Side View
The Zaagh Baa’s, like their sandal counterparts, can be re-soled if you wear through them. Now that is a pretty good deal in my book. These clogs are available every ½ size from 5-11 and are also available in up to size 12 for women. Overall, a nicely made clog and good building block for Chaco’s new shoe line.
MSRP 130: Available in Sienna, Chocolate Brown, and Black.
