Ugh! Birkensicks

Iss it just me or do other peole think all these shoes are ugly they make your feet look like shovels and as for the price dont get me started

Phew ! I was beginning to think I was the only one on the planet who felt like that !!! Ok so loads of people swear by them, but in a summer dress or skirt, I prefer to look feminine, and these clodhoppers do NOTHING for the 'look' - in fact they are pretty ugly, despite the manufacturers attempt to feminise them !

I bought a pair a few weeks ago but they went back! My feet are not pretty (seriously not pretty) and I would probably scare young children. I'm sure if you get on with them they are great.

Somwhat off topic, but what do people think about Crocs? I've been looking at their site and they seem to have quite a selection of styles and colours?

brissles said:

Phew ! I was beginning to think I was the only one on the planet who felt like that !!! Ok so loads of people swear by them, but in a summer dress or skirt, I prefer to look feminine, and these clodhoppers do NOTHING for the 'look' - in fact they are pretty ugly, despite the manufacturers attempt to feminise them !

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I've got a couple of pairs that are comfy for wearing round the house, and I'd probably wear them for shlepping round tesco or on a beach holiday BUT I can't drive or walk longer distances in them, so they are just house slippers for me.

Agree they are not very feminine or flattering though, I much prefer flat gladiator sandals for casual summer wear (and they are a LOT cheaper :cheeky

I hate them too. I bought one pair ages ago and they've never been worn apart from trying them on. lol

felinewoman said:

ISomwhat off topic, but what do people think about Crocs? I've been looking at their site and they seem to have quite a selection of styles and colours?

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To me they are the ultimate in ugly, unflattering and unfemine. They make Birkenstocks look delicate!!

felinewoman said:

I bought a pair a few weeks ago but they went back! My feet are not pretty (seriously not pretty) and I would probably scare young children. I'm sure if you get on with them they are great.

Somwhat off topic, but what do people think about Crocs? I've been looking at their site and they seem to have quite a selection of styles and colours?

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I've got crocs in the Mary-Jane ballet shoe style, I DO find these comfy and I CAN drive in them, so these are my schlepping round Tesco/nipping to the shops etc shoes! mine or not obviously crocs IYKWIM, and they are a very neat style, not clumpy or unfeminine, though I wouldn't wear them for work or anywhere I wanted to look a bit smarter/dressed up.

I don't find mine get smelly, which I've head other people mention, but I tend to wash them (in the sink with washing up liquid! but have also chucked in the washing machine) quite regularly, & they are REALLY hard wearing I've had mine about 3 years now and no sign of wear at all.

The only thing I'd say is they have quite a lot of 'give' in them, so I'd go a size down, even if they're a wee bit small to start with they will stretch very quickly to fit your foot.

HTH x

Topaz said:

To me they are the ultimate in ugly, unflattering and unfemine. They make Birkenstocks look delicate!!

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completely agree as far as the traditional 'clog' style things go, but there are LOADS of different styles now and not all of them are ugly/unflattering - I've got ballet shoe style and whilst they are not the smartest footwear I own they are quite a delicate style, not clumpy & unfeminine at all.

I find Birkenstocks really comfortable and wear them a lot in the summer during the day and around the house. However, I have some really comfortable sandals from Clarks and they are equally comfortable and better looking.

I am afraid I love birkenstocks,infact they are about the only shoe I wear in summer,they are really comfy,I only wear and buy the madrid style with one strap as I dont like the other styles at all.
I have somne crocs with fur in that I have worn in winter,again I find them very comfortable but I agree they dont look nice at all.

I love birkenstock's too. I agree that there are some unflattering styles and prints but I think the madrid look lovely with a summer skirt on. I have far too many though they are very addictive....

i have one pair of birkenstocks was a TSV about 3 summer's ago got drawn in by low easy pay was only like £10 a month thought give it a go have not been able to wear them til few weeks ago everytime i used to wear them i wouid get blisters and would just be uncomfortable. but for some unknown reason they are ok now like most people if i wear them it's only for shopping or nipping to local shop think they will be my only pair not really wanting anymore

I like my Birki's but I have small feet for a start.
Prefer the two or three strap sort.
Now I have found that sometimes they will rub on the under part of my inside so I have to be careful in hot weather.

I also own Crocs(real ones not the fakes), I also love them. The thing with Crocs is you have to actually get a size larger than your normal shoe. I buy mine from ebay and get good deals as people buy the wrong size and sell them on. You wash them and they are dry 5 minutes later.

As someone who never wears skirts of dresses, I don't do heels as the norm both Birkenstocks and Crocs do me.

donna255 said:

I like my Birki's but I have small feet for a start.
Prefer the two or three strap sort.
Now I have found that sometimes they will rub on the under part of my inside so I have to be careful in hot weather.

I also own Crocs(real ones not the fakes), I also love them. The thing with Crocs is you have to actually get a size larger than your normal shoe. I buy mine from ebay and get good deals as people buy the wrong size and sell them on. You wash them and they are dry 5 minutes later.

As someone who never wears skirts of dresses, I don't do heels as the norm both Birkenstocks and Crocs do me.

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Blimey Donna I found totally the opposite!!
I've small-ish skinny feet (normally size 5) but am a size 4 in Crocs! Might depend on the style you get though, & quite often there is no rhyme of reason for the variation in sizing of shoes within a range, think a lot of the time it's trial and error which is why I rarely buy any footwear on-line.

Luckily I don't have any issues with my feet and can usually stuff my feet into anything, and so I decided to try Birkenstocks last year. My feet looked like boats and despite 'wearing them in' around the house, as they advised, they crippled me because it was like walking on a rock footbed so they went back and if there was any flexibility it was minimal.

And are the uppers made of leather because they didn't resemble any leather I'm used to.

I couldn't live with my Birks, best thing I ever discovered! I have to wear orthotics in my shoes to 'regular' flip flops are totally out for me, I need the arch support. Birks mean I can wear flip flops and still be comfortable. i have brilliant funky Gizeh styles and in fact every time I wear them I get compliments! Each to their own I guess, my sisters always take the piss and call me a hippy when I wear them....haha!

I thought I was one of the few that finds them ugly, and wouldn't be seen dead in them. Mind I used to think the same about Flyflots till I had my first pair now I wouldn't be without them and they have got prettier too.

I like my comfort but I want them to look pretty as well if possible.

Crocs and Birkenstocks win nothing in the style stakes in my opinion!

I have never owned crocs to know about comfort (and never will!!) but i own 1 pair of anny birkenstocks in pink (couldn resist the colour) and while not attractive to look at, they are certainly very comfortable to wear as they dont have a buckle (never could get on with them!) That said, i would only wear them around the house and garden in the summer!

I live in my birkies in the summer, have probably got around 10 pairs and have just bought some more. I have the single strap ones as the multiple straps do remind me of Jesus sandals, having said that I did succumb to the TSV from several weeks back, although I would only wear those with jeans.

I think the single strap ones are pretty but they do vary in comfort. I've had some that I've worn straightaway with no breaking in and they've been great for hours and others that have rubbed after a few minutes, I think it depends on how hard/flexible the material is.

Only realised just recently that the majority of them are NOT leather, always thought they were, should be for the price.

As to crocs, now I find them the ugliest things going, always remind me of that ski mask that Jason (?) wore in the Halloween movies!! No thanks!

Nice to know, everyone is different. :up: