Chaco Switch Flips are featured in the Fitness section of the July 2008 issue of Prevention magazine, as part of the "Sole-Saving Sandals" piece.  Prevention has a circulation of 3,383,408.

 

Outdoor Business - Jul08

 

 

The great outdoors of Washington is calling!  For the fourth year in a row, Egan & Associates LLC on behalf of our vendors will sponsor TrailsFest 2008, Saturday July 19, 9am - 4pm at Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend east of Seattle.  This year, Gregory, Chaco, Teko and Ibex are all donating raffle prizes in support of the event.  All are cordially invited to stop by our booth and say hi to Dave, Jason, or Val if you're able to attend!

For more information on TrailsFest: (206) 625-1367 / http://www.wta.org.

TrailsFest is a hands-on event for all ages, providing families and other adventurers with a fun and safe environment to explore the outdoors.  This outdoor extravaganza is free and open to the public, and features clinics on everything from wilderness first aid to hiking with kids to backcountry cooking. More than 3000 + outdoor enthusiasts are expected to attend and visit dozens of exhibitors, including gear companies and outdoor groups. 

TrailsFest is presented every summer by Washington Trails Association. Sponsors for TrailsFest 2008 include Gregory, Chaco, Teko, Ibex, Hilleberg the Tentmaker, KPLU, Green Trails Maps, REI, CLIF Nectar, Outdoor Research,  Helly Hansen, Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods, Freezer Bag Cooking, and Marmot Mountain Works. 
 

Chaco, the maker of the finest adventure footwear, is teaming up with Green Living Project™ this summer to help promote its lecture series taking place at various R.E.I., LL Bean, and Eastern Mountain Sports locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Presented by National Geographic Adventure , the nationwide Green Living Project™ Lecture Series is a must-see, multi-media event for any Africa enthusiast, adventure traveler or sustainability advocate. The lecture will revolve around an expedition led by the Green Living Project™ that documented sustainability projects across Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in March 2008. Also the series will include valuable tips about responsible adventure travel including the latest new eco-lodges, wildlife conservation, alternative energy, community projects, and volunteer opportunities throughout East Africa.

"Rob and his team are teaching developing nations how to live beyond oil and gas—to generate their own power and to take their already sustainable way of life into the next age," said Brian Scranton, Director of Marketing at Chaco, "Chaco is thrilled to be a part of such a creative, forward-thinking project."

Chaco will be onsite giving away two pairs of shoes at each event. Below is a listing of the date and locations of the lecture series. All lectures start at 7:00pm.

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Participating Locations and Dates:

• June 16: REI - Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• June 17: REI - Arcadia, CA
• June 26: REI - Seattle, WA
• July 02: REI - Santa Monica, CA
• July 16: REI - San Diego, CA
• July 17: REI - Santa Ana, CA
• July 21: REI - Fort Collins, CO
• July 22: REI - Denver, CO
• July 23: REI - Colorado Springs, CO
• July 24: REI - Boulder, CO
• July 29: REI - Berkeley, CA
• July 30: REI - Corte Madera, CA
• July 31: REI - Saratoga, CA
• August 12: REI - Portland, OR
• August 18: REI - Framingham, MA
• August 19: EMS - Newton, MA
• August 20: REI - Boston, MA
• September 17: REI - Sacramento, CA
• December 6-7: L.L. Bean - Freeport, ME

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Green Living Project™ (GLP) is a media production, marketing and entertainment company that showcases sustainable initiatives around the globe. Through photojournalism and video, GLP aims to educate, inspire and entertain while encouraging individuals and communities to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

Good news for Chaco!  The newspaper article below highlights the need for  APMA-accepted footwear.  Chaco is proud to offer the only APMA-accepted flips in the world thanks to its BioCentric footbed ensuring a supported, comfortable stride in any activity.  Read on.

Flip-flops: Your body pays the price for flimsy footwear, study finds

By JENNIFER GISH
ALBANY (N.Y.) TIMES UNION

Look for a high-quality flip-flop made of soft leather. Unlike plastic or foam, soft leather reduces the potential for blisters.

 

Seek flip-flops that have the American Podiatric Medical Association's Seal of Acceptance, which means a committee of podiatrists have evaluated the products to make sure they allow for normal foot function.

 

Gently bend the flip-flop from end to end. It should bend naturally at the ball of the foot. Shoes should not fold in half.

See full Article here

Need we say more?

Egan & Associates LLC is very proud to support the efforts of the Outdoor Industry Association's (OIA) Eco Working Group.  Currently, we're the only sales rep agency participating as a voting member of the group and our very own Jackton Downard is serving on the Executive Committee (way to go Jackton!).  Jackton was there for the recent meeting -- see the article below -- and would be happy to talk details with anyone interested in learning more. 

OIA Eco Working Group Makes Strides Toward Industry Index

At a three-day OIA Eco Working Group meeting in Boulder last week, more than 90 participants representing over 50 brands started working on the framework for a manufacturing index that will determine how the industry measures its environmental footprint. The meeting marked the one-year anniversary for the working group. Over the past year, members donated countless hours to develop the group's mission and vision, benchmark other industries, research possible outcomes for the group and reach consensus to begin the process by developing an index. During the meeting, attendees split into groups representing apparel, footwear and equipment and began discussing how design, materials, toxins, waste and packaging determine a company's or a product's impact. Members of the Leather Working Group also provided valuable benchmarks with a progress report on their efforts to develop tannery standards, and Alex Boian, OIA director of trade policy, provided an overview of the political environment and sustainability opportunities on the horizon at the government level. Most of the hard work needed to create an index remains and the group will now narrow its focus in upcoming months to: Distill the notes from the meeting and narrow the definition of the index's framework. A smaller taskforce consisting of working group members will develop strawman frameworks for the group's comments. Hire a third-party convener before the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. This organization will manage the multi-year process of designing the index. Ensure that the process serves companies large and small, regardless of their resources. Identify packaging as a potential "quick win" and fast track development of packaging standards. The next Eco Working Group meeting will be August 10, 2008, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, Salt Lake City. The group's efforts are entirely voluntary, and individuals interesting in reviewing the group's work or participating are invited to visit the Eco group website. At the beginning of the meeting, each attendee was tasked to have a take-away that they could provide to the first individual that they met on their way back home. "Our future just got a little brighter," summed up Greg Scott, of Mountain Equipment Co-op.

Chaco Switch Flips are featured in the June 2008 issue of Shape magazine (Ashlee Simpson is on the cover) in a piece on “Happy Healthy Feet.” 

"These supporting thongs have a seal of approval from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).  Plus, the soles are made of environmentally-friendly recycled rubber." Click HERE to see it up close.  

Posted: 04/03/2008 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer on the SNEWS wedsite
Posted By: Kristen Zemeitus 

Not only do you get the good feeling of buying a pair of Chaco footwear this Arbor Day Weekend, but for each pair sold, Chaco, along with the National Arbor Day Foundation, will plant a tree in a national park. One of the most impactful steps in fighting climate change is simply planting a tree.

“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day,” says Brian Scranton, Director of Marketing at Chaco, “We hope to plant thousands in 2008!”

“The trees planted by Chaco will have an impact on the environment,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees help clean the air we breathe, protect the soil, clean the water millions of Americans drink and help restore wildlife habitat. Chaco’s commitment to plant trees will make a difference for generations to come.”

The Buy One Get One Tree program runs from April 25-27 in Chaco storefront locations and select online retailers such as NRS and Track ‘n Trail. Please visit Chaco at http://www.chacousa.com to find a participating retailer/dealer closest to you.

Since 1989, Chaco has been designing and producing the finest and best fitting adventure footwear available. Chaco is dedicated to simplicity in its processes and products and achieves this by reducing the number of components to the absolute minimum necessary to create functional, elegant footwear for hiking, trekking or traveling. The National Arbor Day Foundation works to make tree planting and care something nearly everyone can be involved in. The Foundation does so by providing low-cost trees for planting as well as producing high-quality, easy-to-use educational materials for mass-media communication.

For more information on Chaco products or philanthropy, please contact Kristen Zemeitus at kristen.zemeitus@clynch.com or 781-544-3674.

Mark Paigen founded Chaco Inc. in his garage 18 years ago. The company has grown in that time and now sells its footwear across the globe, but they’ve remained in the small western Colorado town of Paonia. In addition to making footwear Paigen and the employees of Chaco Inc. take time to help out communities locally and globally and are dedicated to helping protect the environment. For August’s Colorado Profiles KUNC’s Deanna Garcia chats with Chaco Inc. founder Mark Paigen as well as other Chaco employees about what makes the company stand out and what makes it uniquely Coloradoan.

Download the interview here.