Break out the alpenhorns! Chaco has turned to an old school look with its new Tedinho (TEH-DEEN-YO) Waterproof Boot. Wear these on a hike and you’ll feel like a 1800s-era Swiss hiker straight out of an illustrated children’s book complete with a felt, feathered cap and lederhosen. I tested the Tedinho on late-summer hikes in the Wasatch Mountains, but kept the yodeling to myself.
Apart from the serious classic leather styling and clear attention to quality that I loved, I also became immediately enamored with the Tedinho as soon as I slipped them on. They have amazing comfort, which is expected from Chaco thanks to their LUVSEAT™ XO3 platform. It provided awesome arch support, and feels even more cushy than other Chaco offerings.
Other features of the Chaco Tedinho are full grain leather and suede uppers, a removable footbed, a molded TPU toecap to protect against abrasion, and an outsole made from EcoTread™ recycled rubber.
With that kind of goodness under my feet, I was anxious to get the boots on the trail, so I took them on a peak-bagging excursion to Sugarloaf Peak at Alta. Putting them back on at the trailhead, I really noticed that not only was the footbed super comfy, but the upper was as well. The laces and leather somehow wrapped around the tops of my feet like a cocoon, making them feel confidently supportive, like a shoe hug.
On the way to Cecret Lake, I liked the way the Chaco Tedinho performed, with descent traction on loose rocks, and no worries splashing through small creek crossings due to the boot’s waterproofiness. But when terrain got really steep above the lake and I found myself scrambling up a small talus and boulder field, I felt the traction was below average. The boots slipped several times on smooth rock and didn’t inspire confidence when the trail got really loose on steep switchbacks.
Another problem I had with the Tedinho reared up later in the hike as well. The upper grommet/lace hook kept digging into my ankle bones, causing some pretty significant pain, especially when hiking back down from the summit. Perhaps others won’t have this problem, but my ankle physiology unfortunately placed my bony nubs right on the metal. I solved the problem by undoing the upper laces, but that meant less support when down climbing.
Happy Chaco Tedinho: Comfortable footbed, quality construction, classic styling.
Sad Chaco Tedinho: Only average traction, lace hooks that dig into flesh.
Final Word: Aside from the pain-inducing lace hooks and lack of technical grip in steep terrain, I love the Chaco Tedinho Waterproof Boots completely. I see them as being ideal for light day hikes or weekend overnighters with small loads on easy trails, or for even wearing in the yard or a day of working outside.
I just tried this boot — and then traded it the next day for something uglier – because when i tried it just at home – that same top metal grommet & hook was digging into my ankle at every bend – so I was sure it would be murder after an hour or two. I realized that if even before you actually hike in them, you are trying to figure out a way to cushion that spot, you probably shouldn’t keep ’em.You are right that they look and feel great other than for this. well, and except that the mid-rise height seems to stop just where it hits the ankle bones.