Are Birkenstocks comfy?

[BigPandaTinyDragon]

I’ve just spent £80 on a pair of Mayaris after struggling the past few summers to find comfy footwear. It’s a lot of money and while I love how they look I’m in 2 minds about keeping them - can anyone advise if they’re comfy/supportive/dont rub please?

Mine were always great until last time I wore them and they have given me two massive blisters.

Have you bought the correct size and width (following their fitting guide) and adjusted them correctly?

If so, you should have wriggle room in the footbed, toes / heels should not be touching the front / back lip of the footbed and the straps should not be tight, so your foot can roll as you walk. Now you just need to break them in, a few hours for a few days should do. Once they have moulded to your feet, you'll never want to take them off.

I’m trying and failing to break in a pair of Arizonas just now. They are agony up the outside of my foot, and make farty noises when I take a step.

I am a 6, bought the 5.5, but I think they are still a bit big.

sooooo disappointed

If you have longer than average toes like me, they are not comfortable due to the raised footbed (designed to protect the toes)

Wearing shoes in bemuses me. If a pair of shoes causes a blister that area is tender for at least a month which puts paid to wearing in. Birkies don't feel comfy on me in the shop, therefore, I know I'll never be able to persevere with them out of the shop.

They don’t suit all feet. Certainly not my bony narrow feet. I tried but they never felt comfortable and I ended up giving them away and going back to Teva sandals. An expensive mistake.

I’ve worn them for years and have never bought a size smaller, or larger for that matter. I’d say they’re true to size.

I'm currently wearing in a pair of mayaris and they feel far less comfortable than my old pair which are held together with super glue. Basically, the more you wear them, the more comfortable they get, so they feel Ok but nothing special when you buy them and then get better and better as they mould to your feet. This time next year, they will be the most comfortable shoe you own.

I have Arizona’s, they are uncomfortable at first until you break them in. Then they are the comfiest ever!

I buy them half a size smaller. I can wear them straight out of the box with no breaking in. My feet hate Madrids or Arizonas. I always get blisters no matter how long I've had them.

Same. If shoes hurt as soon as I put them on I'm sending them back. Not getting blisters and wearing away the skin to break a pair of shoes in.

Hideous and overpriced...

Similar Style

I have these by Clarks. They are supportive, similar and I found them comfy from the get go. They last for three/four years.

Not getting blisters and wearing away the skin to break a pair of shoes in

Thats not the case at all with these though. To me, it just feels like standing on concrete until I wear the footbed in so it moulds to my foot/feet. I do an hour a day with new ones and work up, doesn’t take long, and once moulded to your foot they are the most comfy shoes ever I find.

Like a pp I also have Mayari and Sydney styles.

I cannot wear any shoes with a toe post usually, but I don't have rubbing with the Mayaris.

I find the Mayaris slightly more of a narrow fit that the slide style, even though they are not the narrow fit size.

I have also sized down by half a size in mine.

My Mayaris did also rub of the outside of my foot as you described, but if you carry on wearing them they will mould to your foot. I think the more narrow cut may be why they do this more than my Sydney's did.

Have them for decades, several pairs until the last pair purchased from a reputable supplier, awful, farty and create blisters

Those who say they make farty noises, do you have the EVA ones?

They make the farty noise whatever style. They just don't fit right and aren't comfortable.

They're only comfy once broken in. I find the dupes from Vegetarian Shoes are comfy from new though.