Which Birkenstocks to buy

[LeftTheWashingOut]

I want to buy some Birkenstocks, which I've always liked but seemed like a big purchase. But in my head I'm justifying them as hopefully they will last me and so make their expense worthwhile longer term...

Can those with experience help me choose? I am going to get black as it's more likely to go with more etc and all my other sandals are brown. But I need to choose between leather and Birko Flor, and whether to get the soft footbed.

I think ideally that I would get leather with soft foot bed, but they don't sell them! So the choices are:

Birko Flor with soft footbed
Birko Flor with regular footbed
Leather with regular footbed

I need the wide fit ones from measuring my feet so I need to buy them direct from Birkenstock. Thank you!

Oh, I'm getting some Arizonas 😊

Leather every time, wear better than Birkoflor, I've had various iterations of Birkenstocks since I bought a pair as an emergency in an outlet in California on holiday in the nineties, go leather. I've got a new pair of Milano in black leather with black buckles on the go at the mo, from Vinted (shop for them in winter, they're cheaper), and because of the back strap I can have the front straps looser and they're so comfy! Perservere for a few wears when you get them, they might feel funny underfoot but soon they'll be like slippers.

Thanks that's really useful - I was concerned the birko wouldn't last as long. I was thinking I'd get Milanos at first actually but I wondered if they'd be annoying to get on and off because they wouldn't be "slip on"

Do one vote for the leathers without the soft bed

Get the leather ones. Mine are ancient but still fine. Got them on ebay for very little when they weren't trendy

I've got mine fairly loose, no blisters or rubbing while wearing them in, easy hands free on with a wiggle, and off with a bit of help from the big toe on the other foot.

What about suede with soft footbed op? I’ve just bought some (arizona’s). Having had normal footbed and soft, I’d chose soft every time but I know it’s a pain that they don’t make soft footbed in all styles

Oh and I’ve had birko ones which aren’t quite as nice as leather but lasted v well, until the soles were worn through actually

I thought I’d ordered the soft footbed but turns out I hadn’t but actually they are very comfortable without.

I have suede with soft footbed and leather (Milano) with I think an ordinary footbed? Both are comfy but the arch support is the whole point for me.
If all your sandals are brown will black work for you? I don't buy black shoes anymore because they end up neglected at the back of the wardrobe.
My faded khaki suede Arizonas have been absolutely worn into the ground so I repurchased. They go with everything and the colour is so muted (drab? dirty? ) they never change even after lots of wear.

Oh and I agree about leather being better than Birko flor, I didn't get on with it.

I have navy leather arizonas with the soft footed that I bought from the birk shop in London.
OMG perfect.
I'd always lived the look but hated the feel until I tried on the soft foot bed.....amazing

I got a pair of nude/mushroom Bostons, again soft footed and I've worn them a lot this winter and now on sunny days where I haven't painted my toenails.

I may have finkinky feet but soft footed or.nothinf for me.

Dammit, I just ordered a pair of the Birko Flors yesterday - are they really that bad?
I was thinking about the leather version but they were €40 more and I've never had a pair before, so thought I would get the cheaper ones to try them out...

Leather will last you so much longer than the Birkoflor! And soft footbed all the way.
I would rather change the colour and style than compromise on the leather and SFB.

I’ve had birko Flor, leather, suede, normal footbed and soft Footbed. So all of them!!
birko Flor is fine, just not as nice as leather. Can sometimes develop a crack where it bends between the straps, but mine have lasted v well despite this.
suede is beautiful and soft. Leather is v nice.
Normal footbed is fine but soft is so much nicer but still supportive and good arch shape. I would choose soft footbed and leather or suede now but the leather and suede are much more expensive than birko Flor and I don’t think there are every colour in leather so I’d buy birko flor if I needed to due to the colour or the cheaper price

I had a similar thread like this a year, maybe two ago.

I ended up getting the big buckle Milano's as I don't like the toe post sandals.

I have to say, I had the Birko Flor ones before but I thought they were leather - they lasted well over five years but the sole wore all the way down. Personally in a sandal I'm not sure it makes too much difference.

Mine aren't soft footbed. Can't remember why I decided against them but might have been because they didn't have them in leather.

@Farmageddon they'll be fine

I don’t like the suede as I can’t slide my feet in. I have many issues with me feet and can’t fiddle about with my ties to get my feet in the soft suede ones.

I like suede it's always a bit easier to wear in than leather. But it does show the sunscreen marks if you use spray on!

Toes 🙄

Is the soft footbed a new thing? I've several pairs of Birkenstocks but don't recall there being an option between soft and normal.

Phew, thanks. Hopefully I will get on well with them, I have heard it takes a week or two to break them in.

Cheers! I'm looking forward to getting them now 😀

Yes it can do, less so with the soft footbed and suede, but once I’d broken my birko floor normal Footbed ones in, they’ve been super comfy. Hope you love yours when they arrive

You can get wide fit black leather soft foot as Arizonas on the Birkenstock website, £105. Sign up for the newsletter and you get a £10 off discount code

Dissenting voice but I find the soft footbed rubs on the ball of my foot a bit. I think it is too soft and has become roughed up with walking maybe? I have suede Bostons with a soft footbed and leather Bostons with the standard footbed and find the standard far more comfortable if I am not wearing socks.

Is the Flor the same thickness as the leather , just a bit more felty?