Billabong Women's Byron Bay Sandal, Black, 7.5

9-27-22 UPDATE: It's been 3 months since my initial review. I'm chiming in with an update. These sandals are still very comfortable, more so now that they have broken in. And for me, they have held up incredibly well. I have 4 pairs of Birks yet, these sandals are the ones I gravitate to and wear the most. I love these sandals.Also, they are made from real leather. I am a small business owner who has worked with leather solely for the last 16 years. I think I know the difference between the fake stuff and the real thing. The leather uppers on these sandals have molded to my feet very well and are comfy...........I have a “thing” for shoes and have purchased many pairs on Amazon this year. I’m also pretty particular. I know what I like and don’t like. I almost passed on purchasing the Billabong Women's Byron Bay Sandal because of the wide strap-like uppers. My feet are not narrow and the style of this sandal didn’t look like it was designed for my feet. I did not think they were going to fit.I was pleasantly surprised / thrilled when I received my sandals, tried them on and saw that they fit and fit well. Yes, the beds are similar to Birkenstocks; firm however, there is some cushion. And similar to Birks, there is a break in period however, these Billabong’s broke in much quicker than any of Birks I own and frequently wear.The leather uppers on the Billabong sandals are very soft and have gotten softer as I have worn them. I have no issues with the uppers cutting or rubbing on any part of my foot AND I have high insteps.These sandals are super comfy all over as well as very stylish too. They look great with shorts, jeans, pants, skirts and just about everything I have paired them with. I am elated with this purchase and now I want them in black too!Sizing help:I wear a size 8.5 to 9 shoe. I purchased a size 9.

This shoe has a Birkenstock style footbed and a leather upper. The problem with this footbed style is that it needs "break in" time.With Birks, you'll notice that their leather uppers are strappy or have a narrower band that goes over the foot. They do not have the wide leather upper like these shoes. The leather upper width on these shoes is too wide and cuts across the top of the foot. With a plank for a footbed and the leather cutting across the top of the foot, this shoe is very uncomfortable to walk in and there is no incentive to give the footbed the break in time it needs.The only salvage may be to spray the leather upper with a softening solution like the one used to help widen a shoe. If I try this type of solution on the shoe, I will report back. As of this writing, I'm not sure the shoe is worth the effort.

These are not worth the current retail of around $90. The top strap is supposed to be leather but it is a synthetic material and has a terrible chemical smell that is still detectable after a month. Granted, I haven't worn them daily for a month because they are a bit too big and subsequently are uncomfortable to wear. My foot slides up to the front when I am walking in them. The footbed is carved out but it isn't solid cork with a rubber layer at the bottom like Birkenstocks. It is solid with a thin layer of what appears to be leather over the footbed. I think this is where they are able to claim the real leather. It certainly isn't the top strap that goes over the foot. There is a thin layer of cork that goes around the outsole so it looks like a cork wedge but the cork is bubbling up already in a few spots and I can't imagine that will wear well, especially if they get wet at the beach. Overall, they look fairly cute but if you want a comfortable fit, you made need to go down a half or full size. I usually wear a 7 but ordered a 6.5 and they are still a size too large. I think a 5.5 would have fit me well. Overall, I think if these were priced more reasonably for the quality, I probably would have given at least 3 stars but as it stands, they aren't great for what you get at the current retail of around $90.

Got this as gift to my wife and she fell in love with it!First it came in really fast and was well packaged with double box so you can tell it was safely shipped. It even came in with a box which adds an appeal to the brand.The sandals itself looks trendy and feels soft and comfortable to the feet even wearing it for whole day. Definitely a must have for summer she said!We highly recommend this one for value and quality that did not disappoint!