Slip Into Something More Comfortable (Birkenstock Shoes)

Member Name: susie19

Product:	Birkenstock Shoes
Date:	14/09/06 (3720 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfort, style, durabilty.

Disadvantages: Can be expensive.

This morning I slipped into something pink and really comfortable. These warm summer days were just perfect for it (until it started raining). If you fancy doing the same, let me tell you all about my latest rave.

Last summer I was moaning about the blisters on my feet from wearing sling back sandals. Since having kids I’ve always felt wearing a sandal with a strap over the heel much safer than a flip flop style in terms of not tripping up the stairs carrying a baby or whatever. But, walking around town and back and forth to school the back strap always seemed to rub the skin off my heel, making walking painful. No good at all for summer strolls and my effort to walk more and use the car less. My friend, listening to my whinge, began to extol the virtues of her Birkenstock sandals to me. I decided I fancied a pink pair for my holidays so rushed out to buy some. Let me tell you about my purchase; the best £20 I’ve spent in a long while.

Once you know of the Birkenstock brand, you’ll find yourself an expert at spotting them whilst out and about. They are very popular, with good reason; they’re comfortable, colourful, stylish and relatively inexpensive. So, there I was last summer at the bar of our tropical hotel, spotting a blue pair just like my pink ones. My heart suddenly sank as I realised they were still in a box in my wardrobe back home, I’d forgotten to pack them. This summer however, they have had plenty of wear.

Birkenstock make sandals and shoes. They are a German company which dates back 200 years to the shoemaker Johann Adam Birkenstock from the German village of Langenberg. His grandson Konrad started producing contoured insoles for his footwear stores in 1896. Birkenstock are known for making footwear with contoured footbeds, designed to flex naturally, allowing movement, exercise and improved circulation for feet.

This review will concentrate on the best selling Madrid sandals, the style in the picture displayed above. The range of sandals and shoes made my Birkenstock can be found on their website which also offers online UK shopping (www.birkenstock.co.uk).

Style
The Madrid style sandal has one strap with a buckle. There are four strap holes which can be adjusted to suit the width of most feet. My feet are slim so I have them on the tightest setting. If you have feet which are a D fitting or slimmer, you may find that the strap cannot be tightened sufficiently. Most people do not have feet this narrow though.

The strap of the Madrid Sandal is made from Birko Flor, a material developed by Birkenstock as an alternative to leather. It is soft and durable and has a smooth leather style finish and comes in a variety of colours including black, red, silver, white, pink, blue, pesto and fuschia. There are also multi coloured styles including floral ones and variations with sparkly diamante buckles.

Size and comfort
The Madrid sandal is available in sizes 37-41, which translates as English foot size 4-7, which I remember from my days as a Saturday assistant in a shoe shop. My feet are 5.5 so I went for a size 39 (English 6). The base of these sandals is contoured with a raised rim around the edge, known in the Birkenstock trade as the footbed edging. Your foot should fit comfortably within the dipped area. You will also notice a ridged area on the inner sole of the show underneath the strap. This gives support to your toes and promotes the natural rolling movement of the foot. In the middle of the footbed there is contour support to help move pressure from the middle to the front of the foot and is part of the reason for their comfort. The footbed also has a deep heel cup for firm foothold. The footbed of the sandal is made from suede. To be honest you could be forgiven for thinking that it is made of compressed card from the look of it.

The sole of the sandal is made up a thick layer of cork latex which is very flexible and has a ridged sole.

Availability
Birkenstocks are stocked in many of the more expensive shoe shops, such as Office and Schuh. They can also be purchased from the online shop at www.birkenstock.co.uk. There are many similar fake styles around too so it is worth looking for originals, you can tell originals by the black Birkenstock writing on the side of the sandal and the Birkenstock wording on the buckle.

Verdict
The first time I wore my Birkenstocks, I was not terribly impressed. The insole felt weird, all lumpy and bumpy and hard. I wasn’t sure I was going to like them. After a few days of wear however, they felt fantastic. I have worn them pretty much every dry day of the year since springtime. On holiday (in hot sun) they were so comfortable to walk around towns but were also perfect for the beach and poolside. They also felt smart enough to wear out in the evening too. My sandals have been heavily used this year but they still look as a good as new and I have never once cleaned them. Also, I have been complimented several times when wearing them and one particular stylish fiend of mine has since bought herself a pair.

It is also worth noting that Birkenstock sandals and shoes can be repaired by having new soles fitted. Details are on their website. I think I only paid £20 for mine in a sale so when they eventually look shabby I’ll probably just buy a new pair.

I do not hesitate to recommend Birkenstock sandals. Give yourself a treat and slip into something more comfortable. I’m glad I did.

Summary: So much more comfy than flip flops!