Birkenstock vs. Bare Feet

Recently purchased some Birki's (Birkenstock clogs) to wear at work.

http://www.birkenstock.co.uk/index.php?m=catalogue&a=vw_prod&wprid=11&colid=5&fabric=15

I totally love my Birkies, despite the hippie, tree-hugging associations. They are comfortable. I have several different styles.

Are you sure you're from Texas?
I love my old Birkies as well, although mine are the traditional leather sandals.

I have never even visited Texas. 100% Pennsylvanian, with a detour for childhood in Chicago Suburbs.

Flint, Ms Wolf.

ooooh. I get it. Thought you meant me because I was the immediately prior poster. Thanks for the clarification.

Each summer for the last ten years or so, my foot would take a few days to get used to the Birkenstock sole, but would then be happy with it. Last summer, I got Teva flip flops. They are so much better than my old leather Birks. More comfortable, and they don't fall apart when they get drenched. Very nice.

To answer your poll, I'll take the Birkenstocks over bare feet. My feet are too tender. But Tevas are better.

Each new pair of Birkenstock takes about a week of constant wear to really adjust to your individual foot. After that, you experience a sensual foot massage upon each step! I even wear them around the house sometimes, when there is no real reason to wear shoes.

I also experienced a brief adjustment period where muscles I had forgotten about woke up and got sore for a few days, since it has been a while since I wore a pair of Birkenstock.

I always wore the standard two-strap leather sandals. Every year, I couldn't wait for the weather to turn warm enough to break them out! Then, I started working on that Birkenstock tan...you know, the burned-in white stripes on
your feet all summer.

Now, I have a pair I can wear to work every day. This is a truly monumental development.

Griff wrote:

Are you sure you're from Texas?

[SIZE="4"]Republic[/SIZE] of [SIZE="2"]T[/SIZE]exas

I've got a pair of Birks and a pair of Tevas and both are quite comfy, although I think the Tevas are a bit better. That said, I *still* prefer bare feets. I do my best to keep from becoming a soft-paw as I disovered the hard way that you never know when you're going to be without shoes.

I prefer bare feet, but I've gone thru several pairs of much-loved Birks over the years. Mine always held up after a soaking, but were often done in by being too close to a camp fire (melts the sole right off the cork).
I'm not at all impressed by Tevas but I absolutely :heartpump Keens and can't recommend them highly enough. They are Birki comfortable but much more durable, waterproof, fit better, have toe protection.... they just rule. That being said, I took 2 pairs to the beach with us last week and went barefoot the whole time...

I like my birks but I :heartpump bare feet!

@jinx: these http://www.keenfootwear.com/pdp_page.cfm?productID=8 look pretty sweet! I have a pair of cheap Airwalk sandals from Payless that are similar to this, without the reinforced toe.

Yep, I have those and love 'em. They're great for the kids too.
LJ, a diehard Birks fan, has these and swears by them.

Flint wrote:

I always wore the standard two-strap leather sandals. Every year, I couldn't wait for the weather to turn warm enough to break them out! Then, I started working on that Birkenstock tan...you know, the burned-in white stripes on your feet all summer.

Please learn from my unfortunate lesson ... make sure that you put sunscreen on that gap, otherwise you may end up being unable to wear any kind of shoes for a week ...

I love bare feet because shoes hurt my feet but I never liked the bulky look of a birk ( because I have chicken leg ankles. ) I am always on the look out for a nice comfortable shoe and those keens look like just the thing. I liked the Market st page.

@ glatt - Teva flip flops are very popular around these parts.

I have a pair of Birks that are over 16 years old... though they should be trashed, I just can't bring myself to do it. Subject for another thread (very poor when young and have issues with getting rid of shoes).
Love my Birks but I'm a traitor... with the advancement of my condition I have been wearing more flip-flops and love them. I have a pair of OPs and a pair of Polo's that are amazingly comfortable.
Beware this site. Zappos.
The return system is amazingly easy and they are a joy to work with. (if you shop for shoes on-line, you are going to have to return/exchange some, you want a site that encourages you to do so easily... they do)
I have large & wide feet, have spent days looking for one pair of shoes... now I have to choose between several pair when shopping.
Cannot tell you what they meant to me the first time I had to do that, it was beyond joyous.

BTW, who calls them thongs vs flops? Thongs sound dirty to me.

Birks are great! I still have my 6 year old shoes.

I love my Birks but I actually wear a pair of Merrills most of the time. They are better for longer and wet walks.

I have a pair of rubber Birks for the yard... love em'. My surgeon has the same pair that he wears in the OR.

Bass leather sandals foreveeerrrrrrrr
Birks make my feet sweaty.. i haven't the slightest clue why.

Brianna wrote:

I :heartpump bare feet!

Amen

rkzenrage wrote:

My surgeon has the same pair that he wears in the OR.

Yep, that's the kind I have, I bet. The rubber Birki's, you can take the cork out and hose 'em down. So many surgeons wear the Birki's clogs. I work at a hospital, but I'm just a computer guy. Still, I can get away with wearing pajamas (scrubs) if I feel like it.

The rubber Birki's clogs are seriously, like, generic "surgeon shoes" . . .

[wet blanket][birkie buzzkill]

I can not stand to wear sandals. If I'm not at work, I'm either barefoot or wearing Pumas.

My wife hates athletic shoes and buys me nice sandals. I keep "losing" them.

[/wet birkie]

Birki's aren't sandals. Birki's are the Birkenstock line of clogs.

I have been thinking about getting some of those lightweight little Pumas, I thought they might make nice drumming shoes, they look flexible. Once I saw a pair of Adidas yoga shoes someone had at a party, those looked pretty cool. They bent both ways (no pun intended).

the Best river sandals( who am I kidding , when it get warm enough i wear sandals !!) ever made in my opinion were ALP ,
I have a pair that I have had for close to 19 years ,
Teva bought them out and made the same sandal for a few years then they have all but discontinued them , FUCKERS !!!
I have been eyeing the keens as well .

I believe that birkenstocks only look aesthetic when worn by a German (or Dutch at a pinch ) female of indeterminate age with hairy legs and thick ankles .

If you do not fulfil ALL of the above categories , you should definitely NOT wear birkenstocks . It would be a heinous fashion gaffe to do so .

Question:

Do the wearers of Keens do so with or without socks?

Thanks in advance.

I don't even know what Keens look like, but I can tell you with confidence that no sandal or partially-open shoe should ever be worn with socks. Ever.

My son just got a pair of rubber clogs from Airwalk, they are seriously nice.
Thinking about it.

You forget the exception that proves the rule , Clodfobble .

English vicars are allowed to wear sandals with socks .

I love my new shoes. I won't be taking them off.


(I missed the Keen/socks question. I have worn mine (open ones) with socks, but it's not ideal. I much prefer them without becuase I'm usually getting them wet and dirty.) (Socks can be worn with sandals, but only if they are a heathered rag-wool/cotton blend, jusy an fyi....)

I wear sandals all the time and am on my feet most of the day, every day. Mine are Mephisto, a brand I have been wearing since I don't know when. They are expensive, but I still have my original pair which I have had recorked several times. I now have several styles, some of which came form Zappos, and I can second the endorsement for their service.