Birkenstocks

[Rockinghorsehay]

They're so ugly but I love mine. Are they really awful or sort of fashionable now? Mine are the sandal type, at least 8 years old, and mainly used around the house but I see a few youngsters looking good in them. Opinions?

I love my birkies and don't give two figs if they are not fashionable. Most sandals are too flat for my feet or have two many straps that rub. Whereas I walk for miles in my birkies with no problems. The only problem is that you can get them wet. I lost a much loved pair of Madrids that way last year. Still a tiny bit upset.

I like them but they always make my feet smell! Or rather I make them smell. I live in super hip student central and everyone wears chunky 2 strap design (Arizona?)

I love my red two straps! They're soooo comfortable. I discovered them when I had huge swollen pregnant feet, and haven't looked back.

My feet get really sore from fallen arches, so flat flat is out.

My feet or my Birkies do not smell. I have pretty feet with no hard skin, toe jam or crusty heels at all.

I'm going to buy some today. Do they come up big or are they true to size? Also, do they take time to wear in (I'm going for the two strap ones).

They come up big.

I find them true to size. You need plenty of room for your foot on the footbed. If your heel even touches the slightly raised bit at the back they will not be comfortable

I am a consistent standard size 6 and I use the size 39 Birkies

I love my white two straps with pink buckles. The are about 7 years old and are on my feet every day as I wear them as slippers. In summer, outside of work, I wear them all the time. Still look perfect and have done wonders for my hamstrings. That and yoga.

I have beige suede two strap arizonas and I LOVE them, so comfy work well with wide feet and adjustable for my high instep. I think a chunky shoe makes legs look slimmer too. They only look frumpy if you wear them with frumpy clothes imo. I'm in my early twenties and lots of bloggers a similar age to me were wearing them last summer, so I think among younger people they have lost the hippy middle aged mum association.

To fit properly they should look quite big relative to your feet, not snug. I also find that this sort of creates an optical illusion that your feet are smaller than they are!

Birkies were 'on trend' a while ago and whilst I don't think this is true any more I think they now fall into the Converse territory of being perennial classics. They're definitely kind of fugly-chic and work best with casual outfits (a boho skirt or boyfriend jeans) but can look all kinds of wrong if paired with anything more dressy.

I see a few youngsters looking good in them

No one looks good in Birkenstocks.

They are the only sandals I wear. I have awful feet and find them so comfortable.
I think they are true to size. The foot really needs to sit inside the footbed.

There are plenty of comfortable yet non-hideous footwear options available.

I would love to see some examples. Must have criteria is

• supportive sole - no flat flat flat ones
• no tiny thin little straps that look like they cut into you/could snap/show too much foot
• no jewels/sparkles.

Meant to add I have Mayaris at the moment and i think they look great. I also like Arizonas and Gizehs and found them comfortable.
The only ones I didn't get on with were Madrids but that was because they were narrow fit and didn't suit my wide feet.

There aren't loads of comfortable, non-hideous options at all. There have been loads of threads in the last few weeks bemoaning this very fact. Every sandal thread someone comes on and calls them all fugly or something. Get this though, maybe flat, comfortable shoes aren't "pretty". I don't think that means they can't look good as part of an outfit though.

Love Birkenstocks.

By contrast I personally think those Salt Water sandals are hideous. But others like them. World would be boring if we all liked the same stuff!

Different strokes for different folks!

I have clean, non-smelly neatly pedicured feet. I have silver Gizehs and aqua and red patent Madrids. I spray the foot beds with an anti-bacterial tea tree oil spray which stops them getting smelly. And I admit they can get smelly but so can any other sandal or shoe or slipper.

You're dead right, Taybert. When I look at the recommendations of 'pretty' sandals they all have heels, or very thin soles, or thin straps, or embellishments, or other things that are so far from my style they make me shudder. But then I think that about so many of the clothes recommendations on here too.

They're not pretty, feminine, look at my elegant little feet shoes. But when I put 'Birkenstock fashion blogger' into a google image search this is what I got. Obviously there's a few people out there who think they can look good.

I agree taybert, that's why I'd be interested in the alternative suggestions.

I wear the Florida's which are the 3 strap ones.

(Very good if you have a burgeoning bunion as the straps go just above and just below)

I discovered them when I was pregnant and my feet swelled to the size of my face, I literally couldn't get anything else on
I've never looked back though - I bloody love them

Conversely I love my saltwater sliders and think they are really pretty. I did have a pair of birkenstocks years ago and I just felt they made my feet look huge and I felt really ungainly in them.

It's SUMMER! Bring out the Birks!

There are plenty of comfortable yet non-hideous footwear options available.

Not if you have fallen arches and wide feet.

Before my body was wrecked by having children, I wouldn't have been seen dead in Birkenstocks. Now, though, I have learned to appreciate other things...

I have made a new discovery - Birkenstock Dorothy - not easy to find but look lovely with skirts and dresses

www.amazon.com/Birkenstock-522333-Dorothy-Sandal-Womens/dp/B01AOENWSI?tag=mumsnetforum-21

jesus christ Dalek, they're horrendous! And i am saying this as someone who got her first birkenstocks the summer before I had DS (and he's 22 this year)