Can anyone speak to whether the franca style is comfortable? I like the appearance better than the others but am worried the criss cross strap will rub my toes.

I just unpacked a brand new pair of Florida soft footbed habana waxy leather and set the buckles to my preferred settings.

It’s like coming home stepping into them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m someone for whom the birks never feel comfortable in the store.

The general consensus on here is that you need to break them in, over a period of several weeks, by wearing an hour a day, and that you need to find your right fit (size, width, strap style and material).

So it could take months of trial and error to find the exact pair of birks that feel comfortable. This seems … ridiculously high maintenance?

I’ve never had to break them in, regardless of strap style or material.

Of course you need to know your size and width in any pair of shoes. I don’t consider that “high maintenance.”

Same. Just wear and go for my Arizonas and Bostons.

Anonymous wrote:I’m someone for whom the birks never feel comfortable in the store.

The general consensus on here is that you need to break them in, over a period of several weeks, by wearing an hour a day, and that you need to find your right fit (size, width, strap style and material).

So it could take months of trial and error to find the exact pair of birks that feel comfortable. This seems … ridiculously high maintenance?

I’ve never had to break them in, regardless of strap style or material.

Of course you need to know your size and width in any pair of shoes. I don’t consider that “high maintenance.”

Anonymous wrote:I’m someone for whom the birks never feel comfortable in the store.

The general consensus on here is that you need to break them in, over a period of several weeks, by wearing an hour a day, and that you need to find your right fit (size, width, strap style and material).

So it could take months of trial and error to find the exact pair of birks that feel comfortable. This seems … ridiculously high maintenance?

I mean…once you figure out the right size and style, you can order and reorder those forever. So, yes, it took me a little trial and error 20+ years ago to figure this out, but then for the last 20+ years it’s been easy. I order the same style and size, then break them while continuing to wear my old ones. It’s not for everyone, but it was totally worth it for me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Birks are quickly turning into the Spring/Summer Ugg

Sweetie, are you 16? Birks have been popular for at least 60 years. They've never gone out of style.

No Gradma

LOL. DD and her friends, who are all UES/UWS/Tribeca NYers, wear their Birks a ton, especially pre/post sports practice or to the beach.

IYKYK.

Post sports I get, but wouldn’t you want to wear waterproof shoes at the beach?

Nobody is talking about the beach. We don't spend all summer at the beach, you freak.

Well this was a thoughtful reply- I asked that question to someone who specifically said her daughter and friends wear birks post sports practice and the beach.

NP here. I don't go to the beach, but I live in a tropical country that has a rainy season, and I wear Birkenstock Evas, which are waterproof, when it is wet outside. They would be perfect on the beach. And the black Gizeh Evas do look a bit...polish, I hesitate to say, if you get solid black. So there's your beach Birks.

thank you. this was genuinely helpful!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Birks are quickly turning into the Spring/Summer Ugg

Sweetie, are you 16? Birks have been popular for at least 60 years. They've never gone out of style.

No Gradma

LOL. DD and her friends, who are all UES/UWS/Tribeca NYers, wear their Birks a ton, especially pre/post sports practice or to the beach.

IYKYK.

Post sports I get, but wouldn’t you want to wear waterproof shoes at the beach?

Nobody is talking about the beach. We don't spend all summer at the beach, you freak.

Well this was a thoughtful reply- I asked that question to someone who specifically said her daughter and friends wear birks post sports practice and the beach.

NP here. I don't go to the beach, but I live in a tropical country that has a rainy season, and I wear Birkenstock Evas, which are waterproof, when it is wet outside. They would be perfect on the beach. And the black Gizeh Evas do look a bit...polish, I hesitate to say, if you get solid black. So there's your beach Birks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Birks are quickly turning into the Spring/Summer Ugg

Sweetie, are you 16? Birks have been popular for at least 60 years. They've never gone out of style.

No Gradma

LOL. DD and her friends, who are all UES/UWS/Tribeca NYers, wear their Birks a ton, especially pre/post sports practice or to the beach.

IYKYK.

Post sports I get, but wouldn’t you want to wear waterproof shoes at the beach?

Nobody is talking about the beach. We don't spend all summer at the beach, you freak.

Well this was a thoughtful reply- I asked that question to someone who specifically said her daughter and friends wear birks post sports practice and the beach.

I’m someone for whom the birks never feel comfortable in the store.

The general consensus on here is that you need to break them in, over a period of several weeks, by wearing an hour a day, and that you need to find your right fit (size, width, strap style and material).

So it could take months of trial and error to find the exact pair of birks that feel comfortable. This seems … ridiculously high maintenance?

Anonymous wrote:The corkbeds on mine always crack and then start looking bad. Unlike any other shoes mine always wear out. I do wear them a lot but is it to much to expcet a pair of shoes to last more than a year or two?

You have a take care of the cork with sealer. Have you done that?

The corkbeds on mine always crack and then start looking bad. Unlike any other shoes mine always wear out. I do wear them a lot but is it to much to expcet a pair of shoes to last more than a year or two?

Have any of you tried the Sydney?

I am wondering if they really look much different from Arizonas when on your feet.

I have the Mayari, Gizeh and a new pair of Franca's. I gave my Arizona's to my sister because the wide straps didn't look good on me. I've never had a problem with the footbed, but the stiff leather on my new ones is taking a longer break in period,. Once they're broken in, they'll be comfortable like the others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Birks are quickly turning into the Spring/Summer Ugg

Sweetie, are you 16? Birks have been popular for at least 60 years. They've never gone out of style.

No Gradma

LOL. DD and her friends, who are all UES/UWS/Tribeca NYers, wear their Birks a ton, especially pre/post sports practice or to the beach.

IYKYK.

Post sports I get, but wouldn’t you want to wear waterproof shoes at the beach?

I actually have the plastic Birks for the pool and beach only.
Don’t wear them outside of that space.

I posted earlier about preferring soft footbeds after decades of wearing Birks. But I will say that I’ve had a pair of non-soft for maybe four years that are incredibly comfortable. I think fit and finding the right style are most important.

With fit, that means making sure you figure out your size (for me that’s a 36, not a 37, even though in US sizes I’m a 6 or 6.5) and getting “medium/narrow” if you have narrow feet (like I do). This limits the styles that will be available—for example, they don’t make Gizehs in narrow anymore, and the one pair I bought in regular just isn’t as comfortable—but if you want real comfort, that’s what you need to do.

With style, I have found that I really prefer Arizonas, so I have multiple pairs in that style and order them knowing they will be comfortable. Like I said, Gizehs aren’t comfortable for me in regular width, and I find the toe cage in Mayaris uncomfortable. I also agree that leather is more comfortable than synthetic.

I wear my five pairs of Arizonas pretty much non-stop from April through September. Figuring out the fit/style equation has made my spring/summer shoe situation so much easier.