Birkenstock Women's Arizona Soft Footbed Sandals - Comfortable Arch Support for Walking, Travel & Everyday Wear

Bought for my son. Liked the style and once they broke in after a day or so of wearing, he says they are comfortableThey run big, so I tried them on at a local shoe store to see what was the right size. Then ordered them here. Super comfortable and supportive of my flat feet! I wear them every wear!Okay so I was not a Birkenstock believer. I am a frugal spender as well. I thought people where I used to live(Oregon) were just being ridiculous and people had trained themselves to think these were comfortable. A couple friends had theirs and I didn't think they were comfortable, because I am used to soft squishy inserts and flip flops(from Florida) and I wore those 90% of my life. Every single day I used flip flops in Florida. I was very overweight, and mixed with no arch support, I believe(unconfirmed by a doctor) that I gave myself fallen arches or whatever. Before using these, my feet hurt a lot after walking. My knees hurt quite a bit and were very sore. I walk on the inside of my feet, and my hips, lower back and knees, especially hips and knees, hurt by the end of the day, or even a couple hours into the day. I started to wear these, and they no longer bother me when I wear these all day. Sounds ridiculous I know. It isn't totally miraculous though, my feet get a little tired. For example, I walked down to a shop and back, wearing these, and it was about 4 miles round trip. It was hot outside, and I was walking on the sidewalk. My feet weren't super stinky or sweaty or wet. It is also a high desert climate here, so take that into account. My lower back was a little tired by the end of my trip but my feet were surprisingly fine. One thing I did not like.. When I received my Birkenstocks, the tops, the straps, are glued to the side of the sandal right? So mine, not sure if it was normal or not, but mine were peeling away from the sandal. So the strap was not glued on entirely, or I am misunderstanding their construction. Maybe mine were a fluke in that regard, or all are designed this way. Not sure. They still are totally fine, and they haven't really come any further apart after using them literally daily this entire summer and into fall, they are holding up well. This was very slight and nothing really to worry about. I did notice that all of my shoes I wear the back inside of the heel, because of how I walk. On these, I imagine due to the arch support, I walk a lot more straight and normal.. Somehow different, and they are wearing very evenly. I notice how I no longer walk on the inside of my feet now. Although losing a ton of weight has probably helped as well. The bottoms are made from very very soft material. I've had little sharp bits from plants get stuck and pierce the bottom of the material, but they are thick and it doesn't really matter. I also wore these when it was wet outside a couple times, and I highly recommend against it. They do not do well in water. They sides are made of cork, and they are sealed, but after me walking through wet grass several times , the sealant has come off. It was shiny and you could tell it was on there, but it had gotten wet several times and it sort of came off a bit. I bought someKelly's Cork Renew from Amazon, and it works great. They are like new again. I highly recommend to friends and everyone. Although they may look a little dorky, they grow on you.One shoe fit right and the other was too small. Even laying them side by side you can see the size differenceHe loved these sandals. Really comfortable. The soft bed Berks are fantastic.I always love my Birks, bought this specific pair for my husband who is having back issues. He has been happy with them, which is a good thing, because if I had to exchange them the box they came in I received torn apart and demolished. Always a good buy with Birkenstocks!I started to wear Birkenstock shoes when I was a kid and lived in Europe. Funny, met my US wife and what did she have in her closet? Birkenstocks!! So we truly are a Birkenstock houshold. What can I say? There is nothing more comfy for your feets that these sandals. I own 3 pair, one for in the house, one for the yard (the plastic ones) and one for summer outside. Your feet are very thankful, back pain is gone ore reduced, depending on whom you speak too. They don't last forever, I have mine about 18month in average, but I wear them a lot. So you should try them, especially if you knee problems, overweight or simply for comfort.I think you either love these shoes or hate them. I love them and wear them all the time. They are not super stylish, but they are extremely comfortable. I was on the verge of plantar fasciitis, and I am convinced that these shoes have not only prevented that but have improved my posture and gait. Two strong pieces of advice: 1. get some help on fitting and adjusting these shoes - either from someone who knows, or from some of the web sites you can find on the subject, and 2. give yourself a little time to get used to them, it takes a few weeks before they stop feeling strange. You have to teach your feet to forget about all the horrible things that shoes have been doing to them all your life.I noticed my Birkenstock’s uppers split today and it’s not genuine leather. I don’t even know if these are genuine Birkenstocks...buyer beware!! I think these are counterfeitReplaced my 5 year old Birkenstock with these ones and I'm very satisfiedA +Yes very goodReplacing my old birkenstocks and these are great.