My 1st Birkenstock purchase! Tips please!

Mumolulu

I am addicted to shopping for a pair of these at the mo

I have read they come up big, is this true? Are they really really comfy and do the non toe post ones really 'flip flop' as in noisy flip flop noise and do they stay on well?

footymadgal

I can't answer your question as i don't have any Birkenstocks but I've heard T K Maxx are selling them, in the region of £20, I think.

geri1965_2

Yes, they do come up big- get a size smaller than your usual size.

They are comfy, but depending on the style you may need to loosen the straps. I had mine too tight and they cut my feet - they were fine after I loosened them.

jeanod

I love my Birkies they are the best thing since sliced bread, so comfortable, I wear the same size as my normal shoes, You will have to get used to them and might find them strange at first but persevere and you will love them. Have a look in TK maxx as they are a lot cheaper there. Good Luck with them.

c_l_a_i_r_e

I wear my normal size in them, so does my OH in the mens ones so try some on first if you can or at least order online from a site that does free returns. I love them and while they are comfy they really need to be broken in so expect them to be uncomfortable for the first few wears. By non toe post ones I take it you mean the madrid ones? If so yes they stay on well but do make the flip flop noise lol although you don't really notice it when out and about, only when walking in the house on wooden floors etc iyswim

I agree about tkmaxx being a great place for picking them up. My local often has the madrid ones for £19.99 and the gizeh for £24.99.

emg

I found they do come up big, mine are a 5 and I normally wear a 6. I got them in TKMaxx and they are Papillo ones. They felt a bit uncomfortable the first time I tried them (and sometimes feel a bit weird if I havent worn them for ages) but its true that they quickly become the comfiest thing ever! It's just the shape of the footbed that took getting used to, the straps have never rubbed. (oh and mine dont really sound 'flip-floppy' at all - they dont really move about as much as flip flops do)

missingink

I too am one of the (seeminly few) people who take their normal size in a Birkenstock. I have to have a narrow footbed in the sandal styles but can get away with a normal in the Gizeh(toe post).

Normal width have a picture of a footprint on the footbed that is just in outline. The narrow have a filled in footprint. Most people are suited to the normal.

I have many different styles from Luca to Dorian(clog) to Arizona to Footprint boots & I can honestly say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! I just wish I'd took the plunge & tried them years ago!

TK Maxx is a good place to start but avoid the 'Relax' ones. My local always seem to have an abundance of these & very little of the other styles unfortunately.:(These are best described as having an upper that is inside the footbed rather than outside the footbed. Absolutely, horrendously uncomfortable!!!! They were my first pair & if I hadn't percevered & tried other ranges, I would've never found out how comfy Birkies really can be!

Best footbed/style I can recommend for a 'Birkie Virgin' is the Betula. V comfy & not quite as stiff as Birkenstocks.

Anyway, I could ramble all night about these beauties so I'll leave it there!:rotfl:

Word of warning though-they ARE addictive!!!:eek::rotfl:

jenniewb

I also take my normal size in Birkenstocks. I think the key to it is that they come up wide. I have to get a size larger in slim shoes (or smart shoes) and get my regular size in trainers and birkenstocks an fitflops. Uggs come up even wider and I drop 2 sizes!

If you can at all get to a store they often have birkenstock soles on the floor for you to try to see which suits your feet. Otherwise see if the company your ordering from will email you the legnths of the innner feet mould (not the length of the sole as they curve upwards at the ends meaning the foot needs to be shorter then the sole by a few cms to fit.) If you can, see if the comany will offer a free return so you can get two pairs of try a pair and return it for a better fitting pair.

geri1965_2

Amazon have some cheap ones, although they are mostly Arizona. If you order them from Amazon themselves rather than a Marketplace seller they do free returns.

missingink

Just to add, have a look here at this very comprehensive sizing guide.

http://www.birkenstock.co.uk/index.php?m=catalogue&a=sizing

I found it very useful in preparing me before I went to try on some Birkenstocks!

I see so many people with ill fitting Birkies & they're usual too small for them. Esp on QVC!:)

Thought of loads of other points after I posted last night but they've all been lost whilst I slept! Sure they'll come to me at some point!:rotfl:

cagsd

Do you have a TJ Hughes near you? I got a pair in there the other week for £19.99, but as other posters have said, TK Maxx also doing them for £24.99.

I have the non toe-post ones (can't wear toe posts to save my life) and yes they are quite noisy as they tend to slap the soles of your feet as you walk, but you get used to that and they are THE comfiest things I've ever worn. They have not rubbed once, I can walk miles in them without any rubbing or aching. TBH I found they come up a bit small rather than large, I'm normally a size 6 but I found a size 40 (6½) to be a perfect fit, in the 39 my toes were sitting right on the rim. Best trying on a few pairs though to be sure.