Hippy stereotype: Birkenstocks
I can’t deny that I love my Birkenstocks. You just can’t beat the feel of cool, fresh and dry feet as you go about your daily business. I think in about the last couple of months when it’s been warm here in central Britain, I’ve only worn shoes during the day maybe a dozen times. When going out I’ve mostly worn shoes but I have gone out on some cool nights wearing my sandals, loving the feeling of the air over my toes.
One of the greatest advantages of Birkenstocks is that they promote the natural walking motion of your body. Wearing high-heeled shoes and even some sneakers/trainers can promote bad posture and unnatural muscle stress (just ask any guy who’s worn high heels!).
I’m just on my first pair of Birkenstocks, but I think I can provide two important buying and fitting tips if you’re on your own:
- Get a personal fitting. Unless you’ve owned Birkenstocks before, I highly recommend going into a store that has a range of sizes and trying on a few pairs. It doesn’t matter if it’s not a style you don’t want - once you’ve done this you’ll know what Birkenstock size you need. Of course you should buy the sandals/shoes at the store you tried the sizes at, but if they don’t have the style you want you’ll be able to go online and know you’ll be ordering the exact size you need.
- Break them in properly. With a new pair, wear them indoors for a few days walking around so they ‘bed in’ to the shape of your feet. I don’t have any problems with my feet or arches, but if you do, you need to let the footbeds of the sandals to mold to your individual feet. I had one ‘hot spot’ on my right foot after long walks (over 3-4 miles) but generally had no problems.
- Give them a chance. If your feet have a funky shape and you’re used to synthetic footbeds in your shoes or sandals, you might experience a little discomfort as your sandals shape themselves to your foot. Persevere a bit, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll grow to love your Birks!
I know there are a lot of knock-offs of Birks, but I prefer to get the real deal with a product like this. There are even ‘high street’ stores (big-name department stores) that copy the look of classic Birkenstock sandals, but I wouldn’t trust them to be made in the same way or with the same materials. Birks are made exclusively in Germany, so you would never be able to fault the construction or design of them. Copies will typically be made in China or Vietnam, etc., and nothing against Asian factory labor, but I’d rather not buy knock-offs of quality stuff from a place like China.
For vegans or for folks who don’t want to get the leather version, you can also get vegan versions of the most popular Birkenstocks. The normal sandals and shoes use a suede foot liner over a cork footbed, and leather straps.
Finally, I know that Crocs are really popular, and they probably feel great with all that padding. But, here’s why I won’t be buying a pair:
- They look terrible on a guy. Have you seen a man wearing these that doesn’t look…well, dorky? Apologies to any guys that have a pair, but trust me - they look terrible on men!
- They are totally synthetic. I don’t know if they are made from recycled plastic, but I really doubt it. So getting the factory to make up a fresh batch of foam and isn’t my idea of a good thing. At least Birks use natural, renewable materials.
- They can’t be as breezy as Birks. With so few holes around the edge of the sandal, there’s no way they can air your feet as well as proper open-toed sandals. Plus, it’s plastic - it won’t allow your feet to breathe very well.
One thing I do like about the Crocs sandal is the heel strap that can be turned up or down to give you a little extra support. You can’t really move very fast or run in sandals without a heel strap. The only other advantage they have is they are totally foam, so you don’t have to worry about getting them wet or whatever. I just prefer leather and suede anyway.
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