Birkenstocks… True to their heritage and beliefs

I have been selling footwear for over 30 years, and in all that time, I have seen shoe brands come and go with the passing of fashion trends. However, there are several brands that stuck the course, in terms of maintaining their integrity and identity by retaining their original core fundamental attributes. They haven't acquiesced to mainstream fashion but have held steadfast in their beliefs. Two of these brands include Dr Martens and Birkenstocks.In this blog, I’m going to focus on the latter.

Johann Birkenstock and the beginning of the manufacture

Birkenstock’s humble beginnings started way back in 1774. Johann Birkenstock was a cobbler by trade and later in 1896, master cobbler Konrad Birkenstock began manufacturing and selling his new creations. Their family tradition was carried on when in the 1940’s Carl Birkenstock wrote a podiatry book which delved into theories about natural gait motion and foot health. So while most are aware of the on trend comfort footwear right now, The Birkenstock family have been pioneering the concept of the importance of arch supportive footwear for quite a length of time. Our family business Walsh Brothers Shoes Killarney have been selling shoes for nearly as long as the Birkenstock family, since 1902!

The importance of proper supportive footwear

In recent times, I have noticed an increasing number of customers coming in store to Walsh Brothers Shoes Killarney / newshoes.ie having been referred by a physiotherapist or chiropodist. However, surprisingly, I have noticed that a lot of our younger customers are now a lot more in tune with the importance of proper supportive footwear. Presumably, this has arisen out of injuries related to sport and the level of information that now abounds on various social media platforms on how to avoid such injuries.

The cork construction of the Birkenstock

Take a moment to view the illustration below to see how the cork construction of the Birkenstock sandal is aligned to support the foot and thereby prevent foot fatigue and more serious foot ailments.

All have the various styles, Arizona, Gizeh, Myari, and Madrid (the most popular styles) have the same footbed construction. Essentially, it’s the uppers that vary for style and comfort, and fit. Differing strap configurations on the uppers work differently with different feet. The footbed won’t work well unless they stay under your feet so that’s where the uppers come in. Some models have 2 different width fittings. Birkenstock sandals are essentially a cork composite footbed designed to correspond to the anatomy of the foot. Birkenstock sandals can be effective at helping with many foot issues such as metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, and Morton’s neuroma. They can also be effective in ankle knee and lower back pain.

How do they help?

Anatomically and biomechanically the foot is arguably the most complicated structure of the human body. With 26 bones, 33 joints and over one hundred muscle ligaments and tendons it is naturally more susceptible to problems. Birkenstocks ensure that the foot functions in a biomechanically accurate way which reduces the stresses on the anatomical structures of the foot.

What size do you buy?

Generally speaking, we tend to sell more of the narrow fitting for women and the regular fit for men. However, some women will opt for the regular fit if they feel they need more room on the width. The question that most customers struggle with is the sizing. My advice is that they are quite generous fitting. For example, If you are a regular UK 5 then I would suggest a size 38. If you are a UK 5.5, then you will still have loads of room in the 38. Remember that that toes and heels are out so you don’t need as much room as you would in a shoe or trainer. As with all footwear, size is simply a number and is only a guide. Ultimately, It’s the fit that matters. Few realize that sizing is not standardized in the footwear industry. Sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, from style to style, and person to person.

How to choose the right fit of Birks for me?

Having said this, how do you choose the right fit of Birks for you? To ensure the best fit, the upper should be un-done and the foot placed on the footbed while standing. That’s important because the foot will change shape while weight-bearing, it will get longer and spread. The foot should be placed centered, directly over the arch support of the footbed. You may need to wiggle around a little to make sure it’s comfortable. With this done there should be an equal spacing of about an eighth of an inch at the heel and toes.

You then need to fasten the uppers so they hold the foot firmly to the footbed and walk. If the heel comes down into contact with the footbed or the toes slide too far forward and press against the front when walking, consider a larger size.

Depending on your foot structure and gait, the footbeds can at first seem hard and unforgiving. Really there are two things going on here. First, you have to get used to them and secondly, they have to get used to you. Perseverance will pay off here. If you have issues wear them a little each day as your foot gets used to functioning the way it was originally designed. Remember that changing the way the foot functions can have an effect on the entire body as it has gotten used to doing things in its own way. The human body wants to function in the most efficient way it can, so if there are biomechanical abnormalities the muscles tendons, and ligaments will shorten or lengthen to increase this efficiency. For example, if the arch of one foot collapses more than the other this will cause structural shortening of one leg. To accommodate this the various structures of the entire body must change in an attempt to ensure the optimal functioning of the foot, the leg, the pelvis, and so on. Sometimes an uncomfortable time. What I’m saying is that if the foot is not functioning properly , then the repercussions for the alignment of your back and entire body are at risk of injury. If you correct this imbalance then the body reevaluates and adjusts again. This takes time. A cautious approach is necessary if there are issues but these are usually temporary. Secondly, we need to take into consideration the design of the footbeds. The cork composite footbed is not as rigid as it seems. Pressure and heat from the foot will mold the footbed over time. If there are areas of high pressure, these will compact more than the rest. The result will be to evenly spread out the weight of your body over the entire sole of the foot. You are essentially customizing your own pair of Birks.

How to care for your Birks

I tend to neglect my old friends but I’m not too hard on them. You can keep them in good shape and looking good with a couple of simple steps (pun intended). Firstly, the footbed. The footbed is made from natural ground cork which is combined with natural latex which is covered with Jute which is a burlap material and then covered with suede leather. Some footbeds come with extra padding made from closed-cell foam. All high-quality materials and renewable natural materials come from renewable sources. The footbeds are sealed around the edges with a flexible clear drying coating which over time will wear out. The material loses its semi-gloss appearance and starts to look dry. Because it’s not protected now it allows moisture and dirt to get in which will speed up the degradation of the cork. Birkenstock has a product called “Cork Renew” which is designed to seal the cork preventing this from happening. To keep the suede cover of the footbed looking good you can use a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. You can gently sand the suede with fine-grit sandpaper to remove grime and dirt. Water will stain suede so do your best not to get them wet. Occasionally cracking can happen in the areas where the toes flex. This is due to the increased flexibility of the sole material as it wears out. Additionally, the sole material can thin. How long this takes is dependent on the wearer. As we know some people are just harder on shoes than others that can result from many different causes.

Remember, we offer a full resoling service here in store as well. So whether you’re considering taking that first foray into Birkenstocks, getting a new style, or replacing your old friends now is the time to take that 1st step! I hope that you found the above interesting and useful. Thanks Anthony