Should I buy?

[pht]

Been thinking about getting me some birkies! I suffer from knee pain though and am wondering if they will help or hinder?

Can't speak for your knees but they shredded my feet.

I live in my Birkenstocks from about April to September and love them. However I do find it takes about 3-4 days to get used to wearing them again. I bought mine as I was getting bad back pain in ordinary flip flops but had no problem wearing the Birkenstocks.

I'm actually currently trying to choose a new pair

Did has just spent a month travelling and wore no other footwear at all and has declared she never will (except maybe DMs if it's really cold)
She doesn't have bad knees though

I have crappy knees and have had several surgeries. I wear orthopaedics in my shoes and boots. The only footwear I can wear come summer are birkenstocks, I even wear them as slippers in the winter. The arch support place my feet in the exact position that they need to be in. If you have bad knees I say that birkies will be fine.

Thank you Era! I have taken your advice and ordered some silver Gizehs. Normally I live in Fit Flops in the summer but I'm beginning to think they are putting a strain on my knees.

Gizehs are my favourite the strap holds them firmly in place, but they do need the footbed breaking in.

Gizehs are my favourite. I couldn't wear fitflops as they were painful on my knees.

They will be uncomfortable for the first few wears but stick with it and they will end up really comfortable.

They are good for bad backs etc, I live in them in summer, mostly Gizehs. The first couple of wears each year are a bit prone to rubbing but after that so, so comfortable. I got some new ones a couple of weeks ago and they didn't need breaking in at all as my feet had already got used to my old pairs for this summer.

i was just going to buy my first pair of fitflops, not sure now if they are bad for the knees.

Serious question. How do you break in shoes? If I wear a shoe that rubs, ie blister, it takes about three weeks to heal. If I wear the shoes on the meantime the blister/rub gets worse and if ot isn't healed the pain is unbearable.

I make sure I never let them get as bad as blistering, if they start to rub I stick a plaster on before it gets to the point of blistering or change them - I make sure I only wear them for short journeys at first. Leave for a couple of days, try again, usually fine by about the third wear.