Very Quick
"This is not surprising considering this sandal is used strictly for wear around the house in its home country of Germany, but I would have thought sometime in the last 40 years the company would have adapted the sandal for use in the US as Americans wear them by giving them a more solid lower rubber layer."
"The Birkenstocks are hard on the bottom but they must support my foot in all the right places because the pain is gone and I can walk normally again - not just on the ball of my foot like I had been forced to do for so long."
"(I know I can get the old ones repaired, but I really wanted a pair of Arizonas as well--plus if I repaired the old shoes without having a new backup pair, whatever would I wear?"
"So up to you how you want to play it -- I have a cousin that has had the same sandals for 16 years because he cares for it and just got it repaired by Birkenstock instead of buying over."
"I have worn these in the house and they are comfortable but will easily slide on hard wood floors."
"Something is a muck with both Amazons ability to process orders for N widths AND with Birkenstock's sizing in general, and I believe this supports several other posts with the same/similar info."
"I pulled out my old, well broken-in sandals and found them to be comfortable but the soles had lost their tread so walking on wet surfaces was dangerous."
Birkenstock Unisex Arizona Sandal,Dark Brown Birko-Flor,42 M EU (Compare Deals from $89.95)
Quick
"Having worn these sandals for a couple of days I must say that people in Europe must have freakishly long feet because when my toes rest over the pit where they are supposed to fit there's a good inch and a half to two inches behind my heal... In regard to their overall construction: The upper deck of the shoe is made from cork which is supposed to conform to your foot, but as mentioned unless you're a Sasquatch it is unlikely that will actually happen... This is not surprising considering this sandal is used strictly for wear around the house in its home country of Germany, but I would have thought sometime in the last 40 years the company would have adapted the sandal for use in the US as Americans wear them by giving them a more solid lower rubber layer."
"I purchased the nubuck leather because it is just stiff enough to stand up so they can easily be slipped on but still soft and comfortable... Going off the chart I would have ordered a 41(I wear a men's size 8D normally)... The Birkenstocks are hard on the bottom but they must support my foot in all the right places because the pain is gone and I can walk normally again - not just on the ball of my foot like I had been forced to do for so long."
"Eventually I wore out the sole, and now I'm even wearing out part of the cork, so I decided to buy a new pair. (I know I can get the old ones repaired, but I really wanted a pair of Arizonas as well--plus if I repaired the old shoes without having a new backup pair, whatever would I wear?... I didn't even pay attention to what my old sandal had said, whether the little foot icon was filled in (indicating narrow width) or just an outline (regular)."
"Generally speaking if Nike shoes fit you well at your TRUE size, get the narrow -- if you're like most people and a Nike shoe requires a larger size, then you probably should go with the "Normal" wide... FYI, with a little care, these can last quite a long time and Birkenstock will actually repair/refurbish your sandals for a reasonable cost (based on what needs to be done). So up to you how you want to play it -- I have a cousin that has had the same sandals for 16 years because he cares for it and just got it repaired by Birkenstock instead of buying over."
"I've had a pair of blackberry suede arizona's years ago and the Florida version... Then I eventually sold them and it doesn't matter because my feet had grown so much since having 4 kids... I have worn these in the house and they are comfortable but will easily slide on hard wood floors."
"I had socks on even and I was having to strap as far as I could strap ( so without socks i would have had to create holes and cut off the tabs...... ) I ordered 43N from Amazon to get the 43 length and a narrower footbed... Something is a muck with both Amazons ability to process orders for N widths AND with Birkenstock's sizing in general, and I believe this supports several other posts with the same/similar info."
"I pulled out my old, well broken-in sandals and found them to be comfortable but the soles had lost their tread so walking on wet surfaces was dangerous. I had no problems getting replacement soles 30 years ago so I figured that with the internet it would be even easier now... If Amazon starts to offer for sale single replacement soles I will buy them and keep this pair for 20+ years too."
Less Quick
"Having worn these sandals for a couple of days I must say that people in Europe must have freakishly long feet because when my toes rest over the pit where they are supposed to fit there's a good inch and a half to two inches behind my heal... In regard to their overall construction: The upper deck of the shoe is made from cork which is supposed to conform to your foot, but as mentioned unless you're a Sasquatch it is unlikely that will actually happen... Because the foot bed is shaped like a food and it is rigid, you may have to try on several pairs before you find one that fits, which makes shopping for these shoes difficult. And even if you find a pair that fits, if you have any unusual features to your feet they probably won't match the shape of the shoe, so there's some measure of risk involved in purchasing these sandals... This is not surprising considering this sandal is used strictly for wear around the house in its home country of Germany, but I would have thought sometime in the last 40 years the company would have adapted the sandal for use in the US as Americans wear them by giving them a more solid lower rubber layer... I was not able to find a combination of working the size and color selections that would produce a suitable combination, so I ordered them from Zappos (also an Amazon brand). Zappos offers the same two-day delivery as Amazon Prime, and if you order with their mobile app they will give you next day delivery for free, so I composed the order on their website through my computer, then logged into the app and checked out there."
"After reading endless comments from plantar fasciitis sufferers online I decided to give Birkenstocks a try... I purchased the nubuck leather because it is just stiff enough to stand up so they can easily be slipped on but still soft and comfortable... Going off the chart I would have ordered a 41(I wear a men's size 8D normally)... If the size is off just a little it will not hit your arch in the exact spot needed, nor support the plantar fascia perfectly... With your foot unweighted, you should have some spare room in the front of the sandal. Then when you walk your toes should expand forward and fill that space... The Birkenstocks are hard on the bottom but they must support my foot in all the right places because the pain is gone and I can walk normally again - not just on the ball of my foot like I had been forced to do for so long."
"I bought my first pair of Birkenstock sandals about 4 years ago on sale at the mall... Eventually I wore out the sole, and now I'm even wearing out part of the cork, so I decided to buy a new pair. (I know I can get the old ones repaired, but I really wanted a pair of Arizonas as well--plus if I repaired the old shoes without having a new backup pair, whatever would I wear? ) When I bought my first pair on Amazon I had no idea about the different widths (narrow vs... I didn't even pay attention to what my old sandal had said, whether the little foot icon was filled in (indicating narrow width) or just an outline (regular)... So I instead went for a 38N (which if I had read, is suitable for A-B widths, and most women's shoes are B width)... The synthetic Birkibuc material is comfortable and stylish, and the stone color goes with anything."
"That said you should know that I am and always have been ONE FULL SIZE LOWER THAN THEIR LISTED USA-EQUIVALENT SIZE (I am normally a size 8... This is how it has always been -- it's not because its fake, its because for some reason, Birkenstock was made for people with larger feet... Generally speaking if Nike shoes fit you well at your TRUE size, get the narrow -- if you're like most people and a Nike shoe requires a larger size, then you probably should go with the "Normal" wide... I would also find a local store to verify your size if you haven't purhcased Birkenstock sandals before... Any case, these are great and are comfortably replacing my last 10 year pair that I neglected and did not repair or take care of for its entire life. FYI, with a little care, these can last quite a long time and Birkenstock will actually repair/refurbish your sandals for a reasonable cost (based on what needs to be done). So up to you how you want to play it -- I have a cousin that has had the same sandals for 16 years because he cares for it and just got it repaired by Birkenstock instead of buying over."
"I've had a pair of blackberry suede arizona's years ago and the Florida version... Then I eventually sold them and it doesn't matter because my feet had grown so much since having 4 kids... I have orthaheel slippers that I wear consistently in the house and those have helped a lot... Wish I had gotten these sooner so I could have used them more this summer... I also chose the narrow width and normally I wear medium or regular. I have worn these in the house and they are comfortable but will easily slide on hard wood floors... I highly recommend these shoes and obviously buying them from Amazon."
"(M is regular width, N is narrow) I went to store and tried on 42M to replace my existing 42M... I had socks on even and I was having to strap as far as I could strap ( so without socks i would have had to create holes and cut off the tabs...... ) I ordered 43N from Amazon to get the 43 length and a narrower footbed. Amazon incorrectly shipped me a 43M (another poster indicated they had problems getting an N shipped.... Something is a muck with both Amazons ability to process orders for N widths AND with Birkenstock's sizing in general, and I believe this supports several other posts with the same/similar info. if you can't find a store to try and buy first hand... be flexible with anything that gets shipped as it could turn out to be a process with illogical sizing inconsistencies and shipping errors with N widths especially."
"Wore them continuously and was able to purchase and apply replacement soles from the Birkenstock shoe store in my college town... I became interested in wearing these sandals again when my son came home from college wearing a pair. I pulled out my old, well broken-in sandals and found them to be comfortable but the soles had lost their tread so walking on wet surfaces was dangerous. I had no problems getting replacement soles 30 years ago so I figured that with the internet it would be even easier now... I found a local cobbler and Birkenstock dealer who advertized on his website that he can repair Birkenstock sandals to "as good as new" but he flatly refused so sell me replacement soles... They will take a while to break in as always and the sole will eventually wear down. If Amazon starts to offer for sale single replacement soles I will buy them and keep this pair for 20+ years too."
