Summer is Here! Break Out the Birkenstock Sandals!

I must own about 30 pairs of shoes. That number does not include all my specially made Renaissance Festival shoes and boots. It drives my husband crazy. If I had to pick my favorites out of all those shoes, my Birkenstock sandals would be it. That's as in, more than one pair. The Birkenstock line is just the most comfortable thing I have ever put my foot into... and I need multiple colors to match my summer outfits, right ladies?

My love affair began with Birkenstock on a visit to my daughter's house in upstate New York a few years ago. She lives next to Alexandria Bay on the 1,000 Islands section of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Given my love of touristy schlock, we were on our feet checking out the sights for a few days on end. My feet hurt like hell. Now, prior to this point, I was a scrooge when it came to shoes. I really didn't think any pair of shoes could be worth over 30 bucks. Into a shoe store we went, and out with a pair of 70 dollar Birkenstock sandals I came. I never looked back. My feet thanked me immediately.

That first pair was from the Papillio line by Birkenstock. These are sandals made for women, in cute summery patterns and colors. Mine are blue with flowers and I have them to this day 4 years later. They are still just as comfortable as when I bought them.

The thing about Birkenstock is the shoes are made to adjust exactly to your foot. Even though they are quite comfortable on first wear, as they break in and adjust they get even more comfortable. They advise that you wear socks with them the first week or so, but I haven't done that. You should. On the black pair I bought in Australia last fall, the leather dye did rub off onto my toes the first few wears. Not real attractive, that. It doesn't do that for long, though, and washes off fairly easily in the shower. Just wear the socks at first, it is very European to do so anyway.

I have heard people say they don't like Birkenstocks because they look a bit masculine. I beg to differ. I like them all just fine and don't feel anything but feminine while wearing them. As I said, though, you can look for the Papillio line if you want really frilly sandals. I actually got stopped by a couple one day while walking along the strand in Fort Lauderdale. The boyfriend pointed to my sandals: "Birkenstocks?" He asked. I grinned and nodded. He then turned to his girlfriend and I noticed she was doubtful. I took my sandals off and showed her they were indeed girly Birkenstocks. She was sold.

A word of warning is in order after all this gushing over the Birkenstock line. These sandals are made damn good and of the finest leather. Built to last, they are. However, they are not made for wearing on the beach itself. Water is no friend to Birkenstock sandals. I wore my blue ones onto the beach after Hurricane Wilma hit southern Florida and the salt water made the soles start coming away from the upper. I had to re-glue them. That was my own damn fault, though, as Birkenstock tells you straight up not to do what I did.

If you cannot find a store near you that sells the Birkenstock line, they have two fabulous websites where you can order them direct from Germany. If you are not familiar with European sizing, they do have a handy-dandy size converter on the site which is very accurate. They also have an area that explains about Birkenstock's particular sizing info due to the way these shoes mold to your feet with wear. If need be, you can fax them a tracing of your foot for expert sizing.

The Birkenstock Express On-line Store has a ton of different shoes form the line, along with matching belts, purses, watches, etc. They also have a section with some killer deals on older styles that are about to go out of production. I frequent that website on a regular basis and have never been less than pleased.

Birkenstock Central currently has a deal on free shipping if you spend over 50 bucks at the website. How could you not meet that minimum with these shoes? that's a great deal. they carry all the sub-lines of the Birkenstock company like the Papillios, Tatamis, Birkis, etc. Again, the customer service is outstanding here.

The second word of warning I will give you is on the sizing. If you go to buy Birkenstocks from eBay or some other Internet place, be advised that they will give you wrong comparisons. For example, I wear a 36 in Birkenstocks. On eBay, all the sellers compare that to a US 5 or 5.5 shoe. That is not true. I wear a 6.5 or 7 in US sizing... just so ya know. So do utilize those sizing options at the Birkenstock brand websites before ordering from anywhere.

No matter where you decide to buy your Birkenstock sandals, do rest assured that what you are paying is worth it. These sandals will last 10 times as long as a pair you spent 20 dollars on. That makes the price of Birkenstocks a real bargain. Did I mention how comfortable they are?