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I have two pairs of Birkenstocks, a cheap foam pair and another cork leather one that I just got. I've been wearing them for the past year, even in the winter o
by QML 8y ago
I have two pairs of Birkenstocks, a cheap foam pair and another cork leather one that I just got. I've been wearing them for the past year, even in the winter or in the rain.
My conversion followed from the thought of having sock-less shoes, mainly from the cathartic feeling of removing them after a long day. A cousin recommended me to get a pair of Allbirds; initially, I liked the material of the shoe but it still didn't feel "breathable" (especially on a hot day in summer) and the wool began to rub my feet in a wrong way. This is in addition to the issue of build quality: the glue at the head of the shoe was visible, and also began to deteriorate; I've also had a friend whose Allbirds ripped during a session of basketball -- it lasted only a couple of months.
I'm not sure about how other people feel about this, but if a shoe or a sandal costs over $100, it should last at least for a year or two; I sincerely doubt that the difference between retail price and manufacturing cost is small enough to not cover a replacement 3 times over.
My issues with Allbirds stirred me to find a long-lasting, breathable pair of footwear. I don't remember if it was seeing people on campus wear sandals, or hearing about the longevity about Birkenstocks on reddit that drove me to buying a cheap, "test" pair.
After test-driving a foam version, I decided to invest the mid-tier Arizona sandal (which I'm still wearing today).
Back to the main question, is the "return" of Birkenstocks unlikely. I don't think so: the culture of the company seems to fit well with the demographics of millennials, who aren't afraid to splurge on items with great story / quality behind it.
And anecdotally, the first time I wore them outside, my friends jestingly compared my sense of fashion to a "white, sorority girl" (which I take to be an implication of their popular amongst college students).
- taeric 8y agoI've yet to try any sandal that can last over a year or two. These included. Now, the absolute crap shoes that are only a dollar last a week or so. So, I agree that the higher quality ones last longer. However, I think simple math would show that no shoe actually lasts a long time. That said, I don't have the numbers to back this. Would love to be shown wrong.
- yashevde 8y agoChacos -- well, at least the made in U.S.A. versions.
- finaliteration 8y agoI swear by Rainbow sandals. I just replaced a pair that I had for nearly 10 years.
- taeric 8y agoI will not claim that there are not people with shoes that have lasted a long time. I do assert that is more a property of the person than it is of the shoe. I fully cede I may just be trying to explain why it is that my shoes don't last for more than a couple of seasons. (Excepting, of course, my biking shoes, which have some obvious reasons for lasting longer...)
- Marsymars 8y agoI don't see why well-designed shoes shouldn't last for years. My most-worn pair currently is a set of VivoBarefoots that I've conservatively worn for something in the range of a thousand days, during which I've walked pretty extensively. Replaced the insoles with some spares I had when the originals started to disintegrate. I expect I'll wear through the sole (originally 4mm) within the next year or so. I have some Adidas turf shoes with probably upwards of three thousand soccer/ultimate games played in them that are still going. (Though one of the studs is threatening to rip off, so I've got a newer pair that I wear for out-of-town games and that I keep in my car as backup.) When failure methods are fabric tearing, glue or stitches coming apart, excess localized wear, etc. I blame poor design.
- taeric 8y agoI have yet to have a pair of shoes that can take continuous wear from me for more than a couple of seasons. Yes, I can get a ton more wear from shoes if I do not wear them every single hour of every day. However, I don't care to deal with the storage to rotate what shoe I wear day to day. That said, now that I bike every day to work, my biking shoes get worn pretty much every morning and last for some obvious reasons. This leaves my day to day shoe much less stress than what they used to get, such that my crappy shoes that I only wear in the office have lasted a few seasons at this point. But I have come to view the idea of a shoe that can last years as a myth that just isn't worth chasing. Back when I walked upwards of 5 miles a day at a minimum, I was happy to get 2 season's wear of my shoes. And that was splurging for some rather expensive shoes.
- ginko 8y ago> My conversion followed from the thought of having sock-less shoes But you're supposed to wear Birkenstocks with socks!
- blattimwind 8y agoSays who?
- mikestew 8y agoSays the numerous folks that do just that, though I believe there was a touch of facetiousness to parent’s comment. I’d wear socks at work if my wife would let me. If my feet get just the slightest bit sweaty, they squeak as I’m walking down the hall.