Not pp. I don’t need a breaking in period with Birks. They are amazing straight out of the box.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to the Madrids for a flat foot? I have been debating those ever since last year and just saw the chicest woman wearing them. It's making me want to take the plunge but I remember thinking the pair of Arizonas I had in HS were super uncomfortable.

Everyone is different, just go try some on and see. They will probably feel different on your feet now than they did in HS. I haver flat feet and love Birks (regular, not soft footbed) and have found they are very good for walking. But I can't say that's how you will feel, I'm not you. Just try them on and walk around a bit and see how it feels.

Can anyone speak to the Madrids for a flat foot? I have been debating those ever since last year and just saw the chicest woman wearing them. It's making me want to take the plunge but I remember thinking the pair of Arizonas I had in HS were super uncomfortable.

Anonymous wrote:I wear my brown leather arizonas to the beach and pool and they're just fine. They're really well broken in -- I've worn them for years and years. I held onto them to use as my beach pair after getting a new pair but the beach really hasn't worn them down the way I thought they would -- they still look decent. They get wet and they dry out, no big deal.

Same. I have a pair of Kumbas that are my beach/pool shoes now. I can only wear sandals with backstraps, which the Kumbas have, but the leather is so broken in and that I can slip them on and off without unbuckling them. I actually don't love them -- my newer pair are Tulum's and they are definitely cuter. But the Kumbas have held up so well with sand and water that I'm still wearing them after 4 years of heavy use.

Compare to a pair of Tevas I bought last summer to wear on vacation -- they were already starting to look worn down by the end of that trip. They were cheap (like $40) so I'm not mad about it, but the Birkenstocks are still a much better deal when you look at cost per use. I think I've still got 2 more years, at least, on the Kumbas. And that includes regular wear, multiple beach trips every year, and pool visits 3-4 days a week all summer. They are incredibly well-made, sturdy shoes.

I wear my brown leather arizonas to the beach and pool and they're just fine. They're really well broken in -- I've worn them for years and years. I held onto them to use as my beach pair after getting a new pair but the beach really hasn't worn them down the way I thought they would -- they still look decent. They get wet and they dry out, no big deal.

Anonymous wrote:

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.”

Glad they easily work for you. Lots of others on this thread say the shoes should be broken in before wearing everyday.

Also, I never decide width when I buy shoes- M width is fine for majority of people. But seems like there is a debate over whether narrow or medium is way to go with birks (I get the impression that birks narrow is like medium in basically most other shoes)- likewise, there seems to be debate whether birks run tts in length.

There’s no “debate.” I’m the only person who mentioned width. Offering narrow is an indication that Birkenstock actually cares about fit; for those of us with very narrow feet, it’s a huge help. If you don’t have narrow feet, you don’t need a narrow width, so you can order knowing that regular will probably be fine.

I think I’m also the only one who mentioned length…but also that’s every shoe brand? Nikes run small (I’m a 7), Adidas run big (I’m a 6). This is not a unique or exotic thing about Birkenstocks.

Feel free not to wear Birkenstocks—no one cares! We’re just here trying to help someone who is interested in them figure out if they’re right for 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.”

Glad they easily work for you. Lots of others on this thread say the shoes should be broken in before wearing everyday.

Also, I never decide width when I buy shoes- M width is fine for majority of people. But seems like there is a debate over whether narrow or medium is way to go with birks (I get the impression that birks narrow is like medium in basically most other shoes)- likewise, there seems to be debate whether birks run tts in length.