Some say summer is over, but I disagree! Now’s the perfect time to wear your Birkenstocks without leaving them drenched in sweat (yeah, gross).
With that said, I would like to answer my question: Are Birkenstocks even worth it? And my honest answer would be: NO. It breaks my heart as much as it breaks yours but I’m afraid it’s the truth. I’ve had mine for 3 years now, and the first thing I have to say is they (the footbed) look disgusting. I have to emphasize it because it’s a big deal breaker for me… Every time I wear them, although I really love how they look, I just feel disgusting. I can’t help but think about how much sweat they absorbed. The footbed after 3 years looks black, pure black, and I just pray people can’t see that when I’m wearing them. Eventually, at the beach, I have to take them off and I’m just embarrassed. Then let’s talk about the price because 85€ to 130€ for sandals is crazy. Again, I don’t deny that they are beautiful and I have to admit they are very comfy but for that price to change them every 3 years (because they are so crusty) just doesn’t sit right.
So, after my rant about crusty Birkenstocks, I decided to find some other summer shoe options. The first options are lookalikes of Birkenstocks “Arizona” (the best model), which are also comfortable, but much cheaper.
There is Futti, a Croatian brand, that was born from the idea that footwear should be maximally comfortable, made of quality materials, and aesthetically attractive. My favorite model is “Glen“, it comes in a lot of colors and has, like all of their shoes, anatomically shaped soft cork soles. The price for them is from 46 to 50€, which is literally half the price of Birkenstocks.
Then there is Grubin, a Serbian brand whose main characteristic of all models is the anatomically shaped bed (and of course quality). My favorite model is called “Arizona” (khm khm), and even more favorite colorways “Kravica” (“Cow”) and “Tigar” (“tiger”). The price range is from 42 to 49€. For both of these options, I can’t talk from experience, because I never had them. But I can say from what I’ve heard that they are very comfortable. Plus, I can say they look amazing! I will get them for next year so that I can review them more in-depth, compare sizes, etc.
If you don’t like these grandma shoes then I would suggest Adidas “Adilette” (cca 45€). Although they aren’t dress-up shoes at all, they are very comfortable and great for water activities — I wear them every day as slippers. Another great waterproof shoe is flip-flops. Having been in Denmark this summer, I fell in love with the way Danish girls style them. And let me tell you, if you want you can really dress them up! The most popular are Havaianas (cca 30€), but Ipanema’s (cca 30€) are great too. At this moment I would go for black ones. Filp-flops arose as a trend this year, but I think their peak will be next year, so get ready, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!
These are the shoes I personally wear during summer, I hate classical sandals so I wouldn’t suggest them (sorry). If you are afraid the summer is really over, and you can wear none of these, just put some white socks underneath. Trust me, everybody in Denmark does it!
