It's time to invest in some Birkenstocks, but which ones?

[MissMiss1]

The sun is shining, I'm thinking of summer and have decided now is the time to invest in some Birkenstocks.

But which ones?
I like the Arizona, but can't decide between black or white.

Can anyone help?
Do you have them and are they comfy?

I've always wanted Birkenstocks, but I'm so flat-footed that they felt odd when I tried them on. Now I have plantar fascitis and am supposed to wear more supportive, shaped soles and I'm trying to persuade myself Birkenstocks count! Am I just going to store up pain for myself? The Mayari ones look just gorgeous.

oh - sorry - missed 2 pages of the thread - going back to check if this has been covered already :blush:

I've just ordered the mayaris after getting the mn recommends email - I'm holding all you responsible!

Gentle, i have foot issues. Podiatrist recommended trainers which made my feet worse (bastard refused to give insoles to me to go in normal shoes) Birkenstocks dont make them worse. No better, but def no worse :)

I love Birkenstocks and, finally, they are trendy this year!

I usually wear Gizehs, but have just ordered Arizonas from Amazon.

Gentle they do feel funny at first. Make sure you have the right width (I imagine wider might be better for flat feet?) and size so that your foot fits easily inside the raised ends. Then it takes a few days of building up how long you wear them for and before long they just feel amazingly comfortable. I have been wearing them for years but each new pair needs this settling in process.

Thanks SoFishy and BeyondTheLimits - that is really useful! How are they for sizing then - on the large side or small? I'm a size 7 usually, but 6.5 in some shoes and 8 in trainers for some reason!

I've previously worn Madrids but have just bought black Arizonas (black buckles rather than silver) after seeing them on a lot of fashion blogger sites. I find them to be true to size.

I really like the navy Arizonas with white soles and white buckles but at £130 I decided against them for now.

Some people say size down but you do want them to be quite a relaxed fit. Your toes should fit inside easily, not push against the ends. I'm normally an 8, and my size in Birkenstocks is 41.

Well thanks to this thread I've now bought a pair of Yaras, my first proper pair of Birkenstocks for 20 years (the first pair lasted about 15 of those 20 years then I had some fake ones that fell apart in no time at all). When I bought that first pair in a shoeshop in Germany they sized me as a 36 so that's what I've gone for again, I'm officially a 37 but have been known to be able to size down in some shoes (not just Birkenstocks, I've got some trainers in 36 as well).

Yay! I have loads of pairs but my caves are Gizeh, Mayari and now Tabora. I have bought three pairs already this year including blue patent ones with red soles and zebra print ones. I am a 9/43 and wear a 42 regular Birkie.

I just bought the patent blue ones with red soles too, the Gizeh's. They are really lovely.

I also bought green with purple soles and patent white with pink soles

In my defence, I haven't bought any birkies for a few years and I live in them during the summer.

I used to wear Madrids but I find a Gizeh more comfortable. I still wear a pair of Florida's (3 straps) that I've had years though.

Does anyone know if the Mayari or Tabora would be better for thin feet?
I tried Arizona but there was too much room between my feet and the strap so my feet felt like they were flapping around in the shoes.

Doyou - oooh, loving the sound of the pink soled ones :) My first ever pair were Floridas in an beige colour way.

Pannacotta - I'd plump for Mayari in a narrow fit if they're available because it has the adjustable toe strap. The Papillo range tend to produce more narrow styles than the other. Amazon's got loads, plus there's free returns.

With regards to size I would recommend getting to a Birkenstock outlet if you can. I ordered my first pair and hated them- thought Birkies were not for me.

Then I popped into the Birkenstock shop in Covent Graden on impulse. They have footbeds out along the wall for you to stand in and the assistants will tell you which one is your size. I was NOT the size I thought! I've had the baby blue pair I bought that day for 7 years and love them although they are now black as night.