Birkenstock vs. Merrell vs. Dansko Sandals archived

coming from a 20-year-old who lives in the oh-so-fashionable city of San Francisco, i say the danskos!

ps: i love giving shoe advice. i have a bit of a shoe OBSESSION.

Thanks, thing1. The Danskos are definitely very cute on, and I think would be pretty comfortable, though they have more potential for ankle twisting on uneven pavement, which sometimes happens to me even in the closed clogs.

Mr. J. just informed me that he doesn't like the "dingly danglies" on the Birkenstocks, so if I decide to go with them, I'll try ordering the plain ones (http://www.zappos.com/product/7501939/color/68842).

Past history suggests that I may well end up keeping more than one pair, but definitely do not want to indulge in more than two.

I love those Merrells. I have them in two colors and live in them all summer. I would advise against any thong-type shoe (like the Birks) because your toes have to grip while you walk. Thongs are one of the leading causes of summertime plantar fascitis (sp).

Don't know anything about the Danskos, although my partner swears by the clogs.

In general, I agree about the thong thing, as I have a cute pair of Ugg thong sandals from last summer (http://www.amazon.com/Womens-UGG-Australia-Layback-Sandals/dp/B000OYMA6Y/ref=pd_sbs_shoe_1 in the dark beige color) that are comfortable for the short haul, but too hard to walk in for any distance because my feet feel like they're sliding out.

But the Birkenstocks feel different - more huggy, and with a contoured footbed that seems more supportive. My concern with those is whether the hard plastic thong piece will irritate my toes.

jasper - i am loving my gizeh sandals - was just in the city with them this weekend and they were very comfortable (i walk pretty fast) the only thing is that i was beginning to get a bit of a rub/blister where the leather comes across my foot (but that is typical for me) and once they break in they'll be fine. i consider them my 'dress up' birks - cute w/skirts etc. the shoe seems to be constructed so there is less need for 'toe gripping' around the thong part - the cross piece holds the foot in.

love dansko also - the clogs are my go to winter shoe and have been forever -

maybe you deserve 2 new pairs of shoes???

I have the Birks in silver and love them!! I walk to and from the train - a mile uphill coming home - and never had a problem. They are very supportive and not slippery at all. No toe problems for me. The danskos look cute too.
I say keep the birks and the danskos!:wink:

I have the birks (in the leather-alternative in patent red and black) and at first they felt a little stiff but now they are great. The merrell's do nothing for me, and merrells typically are not comfy for me at all. A more plush version of the birks are the mephisto Helen sandals and similar. I have 4 pairs gotten over several years and they are great.

Thanks, all, for your additional input. I'm waiting for one more shipment to deal with sizing issues, and then I'll make my final decision. If I can get a pair of the Birks that fit right, I'll probably keep them and the Danskos. The first pair of Birks seem just a bit short, and the second pair had the wrong size shoes in the box. The Merrells are quite comfy, but I don't love the material the footbed is made of - it's a sort of fabric, and I prefer either suede (the Birks) or something that feels like suede (the Danskos).

So, one question about Birkenstock sizing.

I am pretty reliably a size 9 shoe in US sizes. I initially ordered the Birks in the 39 Regular width (I had tried ordering the narrow width last year and it was a bit too narrow for me), but while walking around the house, I felt that my third and fourth toes sometimes "scraped" or pressed into the front lip of the footbed. I then ordered the size 40, and while they're better in the toe area, they have a visible gap at the back - I'd say a little over 1/2 inch from the back of my heel to the back edge of the shoe. Is that normal? I can't decide which is more of a problem.

I can't wear thongs and have feet issues (arches and smallish bunions). I found several pairs of (nice and cheap) croc sandles that are great. I have to say I like them better than the more expensive sandles I've bought in the past.

I wore these for days in Disneyworld, alternating with my Tevas. My feet never felt tired. I have a pair I wear as my "summer slippers" around the house.
http://shop.crocs.com/pc-110-4-cleo.aspx?navcategories=3,121

Just got these this year, I like them because they have a tiny bit of heel in the back (the ones above are very flat). I've been wearing them around the mall and to walk up to the school.
http://shop.crocs.com/pc-2155-4-patricia.aspx?navcategories=3,121

I also have these, but the metal tag is kind of annoying:
http://shop.crocs.com/pc-1185-4-adara.aspx?navcategories=3,121

There are also some with a higher heel or wedge, I'm a low/no heel kind of gal though.

Good luck!

The thong between the toes would be a problem for me, unless you have time to break them in thoroughly before you go. I've had awful blisters and bleeding from toe thongs after a lot of walking. Which is sad, because I think the Birkenstocks are a great-looking sandal. I think you DO deserve two pairs!

The Danskos look like they would offer the best support and stay on your foot best, which is important for walking.

As for sizing, the problem with European sizing is they don't do half-sizes! That's why there's a big different between the 39 and the 40. Too bad... But when in doubt, I'd say go with the larger one, unless you don't feel like they will stay on your feet or are slipping around on you.

With a slide, watch out for the slipping and sliding, because that will cause blisters if you walk around a lot.

Dansko gets my vote for practicality. Although I would also get the Birks WITH the dangly bits, if I were you. :wink:

Jasper - I am an eight and tend to order the 39 - there is definetly a space between my heel and the back of the shoe but it is preferable to overhanging toes and does not bother me. Also - did more walking to and from work yesterday wearing the gizehs while paying extra close attention to what my toes were doing re: the thong - no gripping - it's a non-issue - LOVE the gizehs - considering another pair!!

Wendy, I have the Athens Crocs (as well as the traditional clog Crocs), but I don't find them supportive enough for distance walking, and they're just a little too casual to wear to work. I'm also a low/no heel kind of gal, and the Danskos are about as high as I'll go, particularly since they're more of a platform, so while elevated, the net effect is flat.

Yes, PeggyC, I guess that's the problem in a nutshell - it almost seems like the European sizes fall on our half sizes. I just noticed, though, that my left foot seems slightly longer than my right foot, as it doesn't have quite as much of a gap at the back, so I think I'll stay with the larger size. Having my toe bump into that lip at the front would really bother me, and the larger size stays on just as effectively since you can tighten the strap. It does sort of make me wish they custom-made these, pretending that it would not be any more expensive. How nice would that be?

The toe thong doesn't seem too bad, as the shape of the foot bed prevents your foot from sliding forward and jamming into it, but I suppose it might start to irritate the sides of the toes on a long walk. But I think I'm going to give it a shot and see how it goes.

I hear you on the dangly bits, Peggy, but this last pair I ordered is the solid "hunter" brown, and the leather is so beautiful that I think I'll stay with those. I'd have to order again to get the dangly ones in the right size, and I've already got three boxes worth of shoes to return, so I don't want to add more to the pile. It's a wonder that Zappos makes a profit with all this to-ing and fro-ing of shoes.

Thanks, sunnybrook. I guess that seals the deal. I'm going to keep the Gizeh's in the size 40. I enjoy the feel of them on my foot, and hope that I'll find them comfortable for walking in the city.

ugh. these all remind me of Famolares... remember them?

Who could forget!? I had several pairs, but the one I remember best was one similar to the picture - quite high, with multi-colored suede straps. I thought they were the bees knees until one day, while working as a summer intern at Bell Labs - not exactly a high-fashion place - the metal shaft that supports the heel internally just gave out, and I could hardly walk around for the rest of the day. And that was the end of Famolares for me.

I'm surprised we all didn't collectively twist our ankles on these.

normally I'd vote for the merrells, but I like the look of the ones you opted for...

See I wear sneakers / crocs / rainboots to work and then change. I have a "shoe drawer" at work and just keep several pairs in different colors there. I couldn't wear any sandals at work, my feet would be too cold!

FYI...the patricia crocs seem to have more support than the athens.

That's funny, Wendy. An old colleague of mine used to keep a carton under her desk filled with shoes. If she had a shoe malfunction like I did back as a teen, she could simply switch out to a different pair.

I used to do the sneaker thing and carry my shoes, but I'm not willing to haul the extra baggage at this stage in my life.

Now I'm a consultant where I work, and never sure what my status is, so I try to keep a low profile in the office; if asked to leave, I want to be able to put everything I own in a small shopping bag and walk out with dignity. Mind you, I've been there for 5 years and somehow survived several rounds of layoffs.

I used to have a boss who had a cardboard shoe organizer under her desk with every pair of heels she owned, and she would wear her suit and sneakers in the morning and change when she got to her desk. Only sometimes she would get too busy right away and forget, so she'd be wearing her suit and sneakers all day!

Jasper, I know how you feel about keeping your office free of stuff you would have to carry home if you left in a hurry. I was in one job for seven years and became highly invested in the place. I had a great window office, and I filled it with plants, lamps, pictures, and so on. It wasn't over the top, but it was quite personalized. When I left for another job, I realized what a huge mistake that was, because I need to get my husband to drive to midtown Manhattan one day to pick up all my stuff with his car! Since then, and particularly with the recession and all the layoffs, I've kept the personal stuff to a minimum. Right now, if I was let go, all I'd have to cart home would be a small photo of us on vacation in France, two teacups, and a lot of teabags. :rolling:

Yup, that's about what I have - a photo of little J, a couple of teacups, and a few toiletry items like toothbrush/paste and hand cream. I use the teabags they provide in the office - plain old Lipton (not bad with milk), and one fancy brand of green tea. Easy come, easy go.

Posted By: jasperEasy come, easy go.

Exactly. And my office USED to supply tea, but I'm tired of mentioning that we ran out a few months ago. Sheesh. They don't even supply real sugar any more, just crappy substitutes. I steal THAT from the cafeteria next door.

Isn't it ridiculous? The good will of offering a few creature comforts more than pays for itself among happier employees, in my opinion. But the current mindset is that you should be grateful for your job, which they do the favor of providing you, as though you weren't helping them stay in business. So, we just plod along, in our shoes, that we order from Zappos. I bet they give their employees tea. And sugar.

Posted By: jasperSo, we just plod along, in our shoes, that we order from Zappos. I bet they give their employees tea. And sugar.

:rolling: