Give your plates of meat a treat...soooo comfortable! (Birkenstock Shoes)

Member Name: col81

Product:	Birkenstock Shoes
Date:	23/08/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unique footbed moulds to your feet and cradles them nicely, helping posture.

Disadvantages: Rather pricey. Look for deals online.

Ahh, the promise of summer...hot days, shorts, tee-shirts and ....sandals! Not just any old sandals for me however, oh no, nothing cradles my feet and loves them as much as my trusted Birkies. I have size 5.5 WIDE feet and have struggled with straps that rub, toe posts causing blisters and toes crushed from squeezing my plates of meat into sandals too narrow for my tootsies. That was until I rediscovered Birkenstock shoes. My sister had a pair back in the early 1990s and I thought they were hideous and would never be seen dead in them. Then, a couple of summers ago, I bought myself a pair of Papillo Gizeh Birkenstocks, the toe-post style sandal.

The Papillo range have beautiful patterns and designs on the tops of the sandals and don't look as clumpy as some of the styles. As with all Birkenstocks, they are made with the trademark cork footbed which caresses the soles of your feet so tenderly, you won't want to take them off. Ever.

I purchased mine from an Ebay shop for around £35 which was quite cheap compared to many retailers both online and on the high street. On first wearing them, I found the footbed a little uncomfortable but it soon moulded itself to the shape and contours of the soles of my feet and they feel like slippers. No amount of trailing around will cause these sandals to blister my feet, they are the most reliable, comfortable sandals I have ever had and I hate to think of the day when they can be worn no more. I fear that day may be soon as they have nearly been worn out!

Most Birkenstocks come in two different widths. Narrow and regular (duh!). There is a little icon of a foot on the sole. If it is filled in, you have a pair for narrow feet. If it is simply the outline of a foot, they are for regular feet. As a wide footed person, I find the regular fitting perfect for me, meaning that people with regular feet might find the regular fitting too big and perhaps the narrow fitting too small. I'm not sure if many retailers on the high street stock both width fittings so if you require a narrow fitting, have a look online first.

I have been so pleased to find a pair of fashionable sandals which fit so nicely, feel so heavenly when I slide my foot in and, no matter how long I've had them on for, my feet still feel comfortable. Also, Birkenstock seems to have quite a cult status which appeals to me also. Currently looking for a new pair, not to replace existing ones but to add to my collection!

Summary: The best pair of sandals I have ever had. Ever!