Birkenstocks for walking a lot?

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I’m off on a hot holiday this summer but I’ll be walking a lot. 20,000 steps a day.

Are birkenstocks any good for walking around in all day? I want to be going to the beach, dipping in and out of the sea in the afternoons, but also exploring and walking around a lot.

I can’t really find any sandals that fit what I’m after. Birkenstocks look like they could be the answer, but I have quite wide feet and they’re quite sensitive, I get blisters easily.

OP just go and buy them, no point in posting for opinions when you’ve clearly already decided what you are going to do!

Exactly 🤣

I had an original style with tow post and would wear them on holiday for "walking around" 20,000 steps a day. Looking to purchase another pair as I had to throw mine out after over a decade. The fact you sink into them, so they hold your foot I think helps with the comfort, they are moulded to fit your foot.

I do a lot of summer, city based trips to Italy and Spain, where I walk those distances. I split mine between Brooke’s trainers and Ecco sandals and have always had comfy feet. Changing your socks halfway through the day, if wearing trainers, is really nice but I realise you don’t want that look. I have never found Birkenstocks remotely comfortable!

I find the Dr marten sandals a game changer. I’ve got the ones with bounce in the sole.

Merrels are better

I love mine. I too have wide feet and for years struggled in the heat and on holiday to find comfort ( back in the days before trainers became fashionable).
Then I found Birkenstocks and honestly it was life changing .

Please note they do a wide fitting. The picture on the suede inner sole of a footprint 🦶- if it’s filled in its normal width. If it’s not it’s wider fitting.

I think OP is more for appearance than comfort, not that anyone will notice what she has on her feet anyway, unless of course she is limping with a blister.

I think the whole breaking shoes in is so individual. I remember when I first knew my husband telling him I hated buying new shoes as I'd have weeks of bleeding feet wearing them in. He thought I was bonkers, then he saw the state of my feet in new shoes. Now I wear boots in winter and Birkenstock (or similar) in summer, not entirely painless but better than shoes or sandals with backs. I will never wear shoes again.

I am just back from a very hot city break. I ditched my Birks and wore these….much more comfortable and nice colours. I can go in water with them too.

I have Arizonas for everyday wear during the summer, but avoid walking long distances in them as I find they get ‘stingy’ on the sole of the foot, as PP said. I had Madrids for Disney Paris a few years ago and struggled after the first day, switched to Skechers trainers from then. We’re going back next month and I’ve purchased Tevas for the trip, similar to the ones you linked before and they seem comfortable, but I’ve also got trainers to take too.

To throw in another option, I did a six mile walk in Havaiana flip flops, and they were fine until it started raining and they slipped too much. So the ones with the back strap might be an option for you?

This is what my feet are like 😂

I’m after both. I want to wear nice dresses and outfits and think they’ll be ruined by shoes that a 70 year old would wear on a coach trip!

Wow I've never met anyone the same before. Do people think you are crazy too? I can picture my husband's face when he saw my blood soaked feet and realised I wasn't exaggerating 😮

The width fittings are called regular and narrow, rather than regular and wide. The filled in ones are the narrower ones. I have wide feet and do need the regular ones, narrow are too tight on me. Not sure why they do it this way when most other brands are regular and wide.

When I'm 70 and on a coach trip, I'll be wearing Birkenstocks

I wore brand new adidas shoes and they had me bleeding everywhere. Eventually they wore in but it took forever

I'm going south of France and there the only 2 pairs of shoes I'll be wearing I have 3 slim strap birkinstocks (Eva ) and the Arizona with the back strap they are fabulous for walking and they don't take long to break in !! U can't get them wet thou so make sure U take some beach shoes x

I love my Birkenstocks and have multiple pairs I don’t tend to do as much walking as you I tend to do in them though.
crocs sandals are also extremely comfortable and the sole is more cushioned for lots of walking I have the Madrid style and they’ve not been off my feet in this nice weather

I've actually thought about this a lot! During the summer I'm always switching between my Tevas, Arizona Birks and sneakers. Don't know if it helps, but here's my summary:

Arizona Birks - Agree they look the best and can go with different outfits. But I don't find them comfortable for walking long distances with the lack of ankle strap and somehow I always get little pebbles trapped in them and have to stop and shake them out. I find them more comfortable in dry heat, but if it gets humid or there's no breeze they give me blisters.

Tevas - So lightweight and comfortable in all heat, and great on all surface types - pavement to dirt and sand. Though they do look more sporty than fashionable.

Trainers - If you have the right pair for you, they're the most comfortable and can go with lots of outfits. My suggestion to keep your feet dry is no cotton socks! I wear merino socks, and they're magic at keeping you dry. My feet stayed comfortable in socks and trainers while hiking in Thailand.

Another thing that I'm not sure has been brought up is weight? For long distances a few grams can make a big difference, especially if there's no ankle strap. So that might be something to think about too.

I live in them all summer and have worn them for loads of walking/day trips/holidays/20,000 steps round Disney etc, BUT, I love them and always have worn them. If you have never even owned a pair, why are you thinking they are the solution suddenly now? What do you normally wear in summer and why?

I use Birkenstocks at home a lot and they are fine doing around 8k steps a day. I took them on holiday to the Maldives and got blisters on the side of my feet and toe strap rubbed doing 12k a day (big island!). It may have been becuase my feet swelled due to the heat. They had already been well broken in.

I wear Arizonas, I’ve got four pairs in different colours and I’ve walked miles in them. They’re the only shoes I take on holiday.

Eva is the range of plastic lightweight Birkenstocks they do (in lots of different style-Madrid etc) but I wouldn’t recommend those other than as sliders round the pool. The corkbed ones are much more sturdy.

I have walking sandals for exactly that. They aren’t the prettiest but they are so comfy.