You can feel good wearing Birks as well since most of their cork used to make the footbed comes from overages in wine bottle cork production. So, instead of this material simply being thrown away, Birkenstock uses it to make their iconic, comfortable shoes. The cork used for this is only the outer hull of the tree, which re-grows after 7-10 years, so you don’t have to worry about any needless and wasteful production that may affect the environment. It’s responsible sourcing at it’s best!

Classic Contoured Footbed
One of the greatest features from Birkenstock is the contoured footbed. The footbed is shaped to mimic that of a healthy foot. It is made of a resilient cork and latex that is shaped and contoured to create a healthy walking environment for your feet.

By using a special blend of cork and latex, the footbed is flexible and reacts to your body temperature. So, over time the footbed conforms to the characteristics of your feet. Because of this, they do require a break in period. The longer you wear them the more comfortable they will be for you.

Soft Footbed
Just as the classic footbed is designed to help maximize the contours of your foot’s unique, natural shape, the soft footbed is similarly designed. The only difference is an additional layer of soft beds, made from a cushioned memory foam, which is inserted between the footbed liner suede, and the below layer of cork and jute. This allows for some extra cushioning in the sandal or shoe to help you stay on your feet longer, or for those whose feet could use a little extra comfort.

Blue Footbed
Most of the sandals which are closed-toed shoes consist of a Blue Footbed. Cushioning under the heel helps cradle and keep impact minimal, while molded cups have been constructed with precision to help support the arch and promote natural gait and foot roll. Stability and support are also found under the ball of the foot, lateral sides, and arch from the Blue Footbed’s thin, yet flexible design.

Birkenstock prides the longevity of their shoes due to the well-constructed, and quality produced uppers combined with their footbeds. Leather and synthetics make most of their sandals uppers but vary slightly to tailor to your level of comfort or style.

Natural Leather
Untreated leather, which is durable and breathable. Each piece used to create these sandals are as unique as the surface grains remain intact.

Patent Leather
Leather which has been coated with shiny paint or plastic to give some added luster and shine to the uppers.

Suede
Leather that has a softer, unfinished surface which has been buffed to give a rough appearance

Nubuck
This kind of top-grain leather needs a little extra attention when it comes to moisture and maintaining its color. Surface treatments to protect Nubuck will extend the life of your Birkenstocks.

Wool Felt or Regular Felt
Regular felt is a synthetic material, soft and thick to the touch, but breathable and durable as well. Wool Felt differs slightly as it’s an all-natural material made from merino wool.

Birko Felt and Nubuck:
Birko Felt is a synthetic fiber and rayon blend which is soft, but washable, while Birko Nubuk resembles Nubuk leather, but is made from synthetic materials.

Birko-Flor
Combined fleece inners keep your feet feeling soft against the uppers, and an easy to clean PVC outer synthetic gives a little texture and appeal to the upper.

Eco-Friendly and Environmentally Responsible
In addition to their upcycling of production overage cork in the soles of their shoes, Birkenstock has made several advances to become an Eco-friendlier company.

Water Based Adhesives
Did you know that nearly 98% of the adhesives used to create your Birkenstocks are water based? This lessens the number of chemicals used during the manufacturing process, and they were one of the first companies to incorporate water-based adhesives during the process!

Jute
Jute is an annual plant, grown in tropical regions of the world. Plants are harvested at four months to undergo processing for plant fiber used in the soles of the sandals. Another way renewable material is used by the company!

Natural Latex
This is used as a binding agent for footbed production. Resin is harvest from rubber trees, which is part of the tree’s natural protection against fungi and bacteria and is collected in small buckets from scores, similar to maple syrup harvests. Compare this to synthetic latex, which is made from crude oil, a non-renewable resource.

Birkenstock Repair Service
Did you know that you can have certain aspects of your favorite pair replaced or repaired? And, although you’ll need to pay for the repair, they’ll pay the cost to ship them back to you once they’re good as new!

Finding a perfectly-fitting pair of shoes can be like finding the holy grail; there are so many brands, styles, models and makes of shoes that it seems like it’s next to impossible, especially when you are shopping online! Fear not, as we’ve ranked each product on our list for their fit and trueness-to-size to help guide you in finding the perfect match for you.

To come up with a score for fit of a shoe, we considered several factors, like the ones mentioned above, in addition to real customer reviews, to help boil down everything into one simple score. For example, Nike tends to make shoes that are true-to-size, meaning that you can buy a pair of 11s one year, and another pair of 11s next year in a different model and they will usually still fit (unless your feet grown or shrank). A brand like Nike will most likely have a high score when it comes to fit, but the other variables in play, such as make, model, and purpose, will also affect the overall score.

At the end of the day, however, a higher score for the “fit” criterion will tend to mean that the shoe experiences a better trueness-to-size than a competing product; just don’t forget all the underlying factors that are baked into arriving at that single score! Finally, if you are looking for tips on how to identify your shoe size, check out this guide by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society.

Outsole
The outsole, or more simply, the sole of the shoe, makes direct contact with the ground and therefore supports the entire foot and body when in motion. A poorly-constructed outsole will lead to discomfort, slipping and foot or other bodily injury. For this reason, many manufacturers use materials that are water-, weather-, heat-, and impact-resistant. Depending on the type of footwear, one will often see outsoles made from natural or synthetic materials, such as PVC, EVA, rubber, and leather. Each of these has their advantages, depending on the shoe’s purpose; however, as a general rule, they each are resistant to the aforementioned factors. They are also flexible enough to support a proper foot cycle when in motion, but they are not so flexible that they feel like a pair of socks. A sole made of the materials above tends to score higher on our product evaluations, as they are not only comfortable but also support other criteria, such as “support” and “durability.”

Midsole
The midsole is designed to provide cushioning and shock absorption to the shoe, nestling the foot in comfort. Whereas running shoes tend to have thick midsoles, flats and thinner shoes not designed for high-impact activities often have thinner midsoles. The reason for this is simple: you need more shock absorption and vibration dampening during high-intensity movements or activities to maintain comfort and prevent foot injury then you otherwise would with a regular shoe, flat or sandal. Midsoles are often made from EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate), a synthetic plastic also used to make insertable orthotics. A firmer type of EVA for the midsole will make the shoe heavier, but more durable; whereas a softer type of EVA, like those found in running shoes, improve shock absorption, but wear much quicker. Podiatrists tend to prefer firmer midsoles for those suffering from orthopedic conditions, such as plantar fasciitis.

Insole
The insole is the proverbial foundation of the entire shoe. The sock liner lays on top of the insole, which is then fused to the midsole, and finally the outsole. A firm insole will give good structure to a shoe and increase its stability and durability, but it will also increase the weight of the overall product and be less comfortable. A softer insole might be more comfortable, but that comes at the expense of stability and durability. We tried to balance these weights when evaluating our products, but each reader and wearer is different, so be aware of this trade-off.