JElaineB : a question for you re birkenstock

[etwahl]

i got my first pair today - actually tatami by birkenstock. dh loves them. they're a brown suede slide. they are a little long, but i think that might be okay. do you find you wear them a bit long? or do your feet fit perfectly?

i am normally a size 7, and ordered this shoe in a 38. i was looking at more birks (by tatami) on zappos.com and some of their size charts show size 7 as 38 and some show size 7 as 39. is that an error on their part? shouldn't they all be sized the same?

as for breaking them in...what kind of pain am i in for? is it the bottom of the foot...the top, everywhere? should i expect a ton of blisters? anyway to combat this? wear lots of bandaids. i'm already dreading the pain!!! anyway, thanks for the recommendation! so far, so good (cute at least, they fit...let's hope i can break them in)

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[JElaineB]

Congrats on the Birkenstock purchase!! Exactly what style did you get? I'm jealous, I haven't had a new pair in over a year.

As for fit, mine are just about the same length as my foot. But if your toe grips the toe grip and your heel is in the heel cup they should be fine.

The sizing isn't an error (though I'm not totally familiar with zappos.com). Some styles run smaller, so most people need to size up in those. They are usually identified as "Alternative sizing" on the ones you need to go up a size. I wear a 41 in "classic" sizes but in Alternative styles I would wear a 42. For more info, go to http://www.birkenstockexpress.com and then click on "size & fit" and "size chart".

The pain. I can remember it! Mostly it was pain on the bottoms of my feet and arches. I don't recall getting any blisters, but it was quite a while ago. The strap around your toes should be snug but not tight, and any strap around your upper foot should be somewhat looser. Note that A FEW (not all or even most) Tatami's have high arches, so that might make it a little more of an adjustment. If you find your style on the Birkenstock Express website (link above) it should say if it has high arches or not. Just wear them a few hours a day and over a week or two build up to a whole day. Don't try to go out all day in them until you are used to them. After a couple of weeks it should be clear sailing. If they still hurt after that you might want to get the fit inspected at a local Birkenstock store. Let me know if you need any moral support breaking them in!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[jd11365]

I Luh-uhve my Birks! I got my most recent pair at Sams believe it or not. You do feel a bit of pain in the arch for a while when you first start wearing them...well, I did because I have flat feet...but it's hard to take them away from me now. Funny story...when I was a kid my dad wore them and I was so embarrassed by them...I called them his Jesus shoes and made him promise not to wear them when I went out with him... Ha!

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
May '03

[etwahl]

this is what i got...

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/119947.html

but i think they are too big. i have quite a bit of extra room lengthwise, plus they don't feel snug at the toe area. they have an elastic area, and i got regular instead of narrow. but it said that it's equivalent to 7-7.5. i didn't order from zappos. i got from onlineshoes.com because they were cheaper. but i'm wondering if i should order a smaller size from zappos.com (i just realized they price match) then send back the pair that doesn't work size-wise?

shoot! not sure what to do. okay, i just ordered the smaller size from zappos and will return the one that doesn't work for me.

ETA: these look kind of cute but i should probably figure out my size first:
http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/106602.html

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[JElaineB]

Those are nice! Nice that they were on sale too and free shipping! I do like all those new Tatami styles, unfortunately I don't think a new pair is in the cards right now for me though. I hope the new size fits you better. I checked another site and it said the Santos are moderate arch, so they should have a shorter break-in period than usual, at least. Keep me updated when the new size arrives!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[etwahl]

i go thtem through onlineshoes.com and on clearance for $89 right now. great deal! i will get the smaller pair monday from zappos and then i can decide which to keep. then it's on to some other pairs! well after i've worn this pair for a while to see how i like them :)

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com