Typically people shop for shoes from the top down however educated Birkenstock fans recognize that one of the most
important (and frequently neglected) components of a shoe is the
support inside of the shoe. When you stick your hand (or foot) into a
Birkenstock you will notice that the shoe has several unique contours.
Most people are familiar with the medial arch of the foot. This arch is
the most prominent one and is typically easily viewed unless people
have extremely flat feet. Along with the medial arch the transverse,
metatarsal and lateral arches are structures that benefit from proper support. Your foot
was designed to move; shoes that give your foot the correct degree of
support and offers your feet access to freedom of movement will be some
of the best and most comfortable footwear you can buy.
Shoes are designed to protect and support you and your feet. Your
body weight rests on a relatively small portion of your body and if you think about the physics that come into
play when pressure is distributed it follows that the more contact the
sole of your foot has with the footbed of a shoe the fewer pounds per
square inch the soles of your feet carry. Naturally not every shoe will
work for every person, the traditional Birkenstock footbed tends to
work best for people who have medium arches, a medium to wide foot and
what is referred to as normal or neutral pronation. Since the
Birkenstock footbed is cork based the shoe will actually mold to your
foot as you wear it creating a uniquely customized fit.
At work I stress the idea that shoes are not necessarily good or bad
it depends on whether the shoe works for your foot. Birkenstock does
manufacture shoes for people with flatter arches, they have also
introduced a shoe with even more support for the approximately twenty
percent of the population with unusually high arches. If Birkenstocks
work for you they are good reliable shoes that are easy to maintain.
Your foot is designed to do an amazing number of things. Worn barefoot or with the right socks
Birkenstock offers people year round comfort, support and stability. As
far as shoes go it is a lot of bang for your buck and some people balk
at the price but if you take care of the shoes (or
sandals) they will take care of you.
Care for your Birkenstocks depends on the materials used to
construct the shoe. Leather needs little more than an occasional coat
of beeswax, suede is a more delicate material, any suede product
should be treated with a good water repellent and will benefit from
frequent cleaning with a suede and nubuck block and brush kit. New
Birkenstock soles have been sealed by the manufacturer, when you
observe the outer sole there is a faint sheen to the cork indicating
that the shoe has been properly sealed. Pay attention to that shine,
cork needs to be sealed periodically and once the sheen is gone it's
time to paint another thin layer of cork sealer over the original
one. This will help you avoid what is commonly referred to as
Birkenstock rot.
At work I see a lot of people wearing the wrong size shoes.
Birkenstocks tend to work best for people who have uniformly sized
feet. Most people will have a slight size discrepancy between their
feet. One tends to be slightly longer/wider while the other may be
slightly smaller/narrower. Birkenstock
does provide consumers with the option to have a shoe designed for
their specific foot however this writeup will be dealing with the
standard shoes. Whenever you are being fitted for shoes pay attention
to how much room your foot has inside the shoe. Just because you can
get a foot on your shoe does not mean that it fits. When the
Birkenstock shoe fits properly your heels fit very naturally into the
heel cups, the shoes provide good functional support and there is a
minimum of one quarter of an inch past the longest part of your toes
before the top of your shoes begins.
How do you know if Birkenstocks will work for you? My best advice is
to give them a try. A knowledgable sales person will help you determine
if the shoe is right for you, anyone who works in shoes and expects to
last will understand the different foot types and be able to recommend
what they think will work best for your particular foot. A good sales
person would rather have a customer walk out the door empty handed than
with the wrong product, part of their job is customer education so
don't be afraid to ask any questions you might have. Other shoe stores
may vary but where I work we rank shoes in terms of comfortable
walk/stand time. For instance, a good pair of three inch heels will provide anywhere from two to
four hours of comfortable stand time.
Shoes should feel good and comfortable the first time you put them
on. Because Birkenstocks are manufactured with a level of support that
not many other shoes offer there may be an adjustment time for your
body as it becomes accustomed to being properly supported. With shoes
like the Birkenstocks my personal recommendation is to take your time
getting used to them. Following the 2-4-6-8 rule may help your body
habituate to the shoes. After your purchase wear the shoes around your
home. Regardless of what they feel like take them off after two hours
of continuous wear. When you can comfortably wear the shoes for two
hours try wearing the shoes for four hours, then six, gradually building
up to what you would consider a full day.
Birkenstock is one of the brands I recommend to people who are
looking for what I would call a twelve to fourteen hour shoe. That
means you can expect your Birkenstocks to provide you with comfortable
all day support. At the end of a long day on your feet they may be
fatigued. Your feet are carrying a lot of weight and quite frankly
they don't always get
the respect they deserve. Foot fatigue is normal, foot pain is not.
Shoes should never hurt your feet, so if after a week or two your body
does not find the shoes to be comfortable Birkenstock may not be the
brand for you. Good footwear will benefit you and your body. It should
carry you through whatever Herculean
tasks you need to get through. Birkenstocks may not be the most
beautiful shoes the world has ever seen but having pain free feet at
the end of a long day is a beautiful thing. Next time you're in the
market for relatively inexpensive good supportive shoes consider
Birkenstock as one of your options. Birkenstock; because life is too short for uncomfortable shoes.