Chaco Sport Sandals

Expat envy. Like a solar eclipse or a volcanic eruption, when you encounter it, it's just downright awe-inspiring. And all it took to elicit glimpses of jade-green desire from a slew of South Asian expats—those of the great gigs, stateside wages, nominal monthly rents, and an endless travel itinerary—was one pair of Chaco sport sandals.

Long the go-to sandal of the river-rat set, Chacos excel at the twin pillars of gear utility: Simplicity and high-quality performance. Polyester straps, with simple pull-through buckle adjustment, are secured to a polyurethane sole that contours to your footbed so perfectly that Chaco has won the approval of the American Podiatric Medical Association. I gravitated to the Z/2 Stealth sandals, an open-toe design that fits like a pair of comfortable sneakers and gave me cool, top-notch, no-slip performance whether I was rafting a stretch of brown rainforest rapids, stomping over red-earth jungle trails, or chasing after a three-wheel taxi in chaotic urban traffic. The Z/2's Stealth Amphibia outsoles also gave me the perfect measure of stickiness, ideal for navigating over wet rocks and slippery pavement. And, like all Chaco performance sandals, you can choose from a variety of different strap colors and custom-select your sole for the level of performance you require, from über-traction with Vibram rubber to more reserved diamond-shaped patterns.

Chaco also recently introduced the ZX/1 and ZX/2's, which swap the single front-end strap for two narrower basket-woven straps, so that the sandal conforms even closer to the contours of your feet. Whichever you choose, rest assured: while we can't guarantee covetous stares from every group of road-weary expats, you will still have the best sport sandals around.

$90; www.chacousa.com