Birkenstock Unisex Arizona Black Birko-flor Sandals - 5-5.5 B(M) US Women

Tl;DR: The sizing of these shoes is off by 2 to 3 sizes, so if you usually wear a 9 you'll want to order a 7 or a 6.5.I bought these sandals after reading The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13, and The Source Family, which I also bought on Amazon. In the book they are cited as a popular favorite sandal for the Source Family and since I'm going through a sort of obsession with their history and a general hippy life phase I decided to try these out to further my hippy-wear wardrobe.These sandals were very popular in the seventies primarily for two reasons:1. There were no other shoes available at the time with orthopedic shaping for the feet in the US.2. They were brought to the US and introduced to the hippy community by someone who was passionate about them after having acquired a pair in Germany, where Birkenstock originates.Having worn these sandals for a couple of days I must say that people in Europe must have freakishly long feet because when my toes rest over the pit where they are supposed to fit there's a good inch and a half to two inches behind my heal.I wear a US 9.5 and bought these in a 9. They appear to be about a size too large at least.In regard to their overall construction:The upper deck of the shoe is made from cork which is supposed to conform to your foot, but as mentioned unless you're a Sasquatch it is unlikely that will actually happen. This is one of the major complaints of these shoes: If they fit you they're very comfortable, but if they don't, they just don't. Because the foot bed is shaped like a food and it is rigid, you may have to try on several pairs before you find one that fits, which makes shopping for these shoes difficult. And even if you find a pair that fits, if you have any unusual features to your feet they probably won't match the shape of the shoe, so there's some measure of risk involved in purchasing these sandals.The "Birko-Flor" material appears to be a synthetic material sandwiched together in two layers with some kind of adhesive. After a couple of days of wear some of the fluff from my white socks has come off and lined the sticky edges of the straps, giving them a white rim. The material does not appear to be particularly durable, as it has already developed wrinkles after two adjustments of the straps. I am certain in time it will crack and that the layers will come apart.The lower portion of the sandal is made from the sort of "house shoe" material you find on cheaply made slippers for wear around the house. This is not surprising considering this sandal is used strictly for wear around the house in its home country of Germany, but I would have thought sometime in the last 40 years the company would have adapted the sandal for use in the US as Americans wear them by giving them a more solid lower rubber layer.These sandals are also particularly rigid. If you are used to newer-design shoes that flex with your step you may find these sandals hard to walk in and a bit noisy. They also have a tendency to fall off because of their rigidity, but this is also due in part to their overly large dimensions.Edit 12/22/21014:I was not able to order the color I wanted on Amazon because when I select a color and then a size on the order page the color reverts to something else. I was not able to find a combination of working the size and color selections that would produce a suitable combination, so I ordered them from Zappos (also an Amazon brand). Zappos offers the same two-day delivery as Amazon Prime, and if you order with their mobile app they will give you next day delivery for free, so I composed the order on their website through my computer, then logged into the app and checked out there.I finally got the correct size of these shoes after trying four pairs.Even though I need a size 9.5 US for most shoes I had to go down to a 7 in these shoes, which means their sizing is off by 2.5 to 3 sizes.

Comfortable and fit great.

Good price for an authentic berkinstocks. Good quality.

These are comfy and wonderful support. Great wardrobe addition and perfect for my hand knitted socks for my southern early spring and fall weather.

The fit is perfect! Great art support and quality product. Very satisfied a little bit of a break and time but not long at all.

I back these and received them. Packaging good. I wear them one to yoga class, grocery store, doctors office. Once I got to the doctors office, my foot started hurting while I was in the waiting room. I took my shoe off and I noticed blister and it opened and it was really sore. The shoe had rubbed on the side of my foot I am returning. Just be aware, the returning policy is extremely strict. Do not throw the boxes away. I did not, and I’m so thankful.

I was looking to get another pair of Birkenstocks, but with this pair, the sizing was off. In a regular shoe, I am a size 8 and in Birkenstock I am usually 39, I ordered 8,8 1/2 and they were huge! Maybe they were a mens, although it didn't say mens. I returned.

I bought my Birkenstocks on Amazon every year because Birkenstocks website takes way too long and it’s easier just to buy them on here. The quality is great.