With my pandemic-induced teleworking schedule, my style has certainly gone towards comfort. Not that I embraced uncomfortable clothing or shoes previously… but for the last few months I’ve been living in my Birkenstock sandals.
After rambling around the house barefoot in the spring, I decided that I needed something comfy with a little bit of foot support. Birkenstocks were calling to me. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on them though, because Birks are a ‘love them or hate them’ kind of shoe… and I haven’t worn a pair since college. Oh, and that wasn’t even a real pair, as mine were knock-offs from Payless.
I wanted a sandal I could slip on, but I wasn’t quite sure about the thong style. I HATE flipflops, due to the SLAP SLAP SLAP sound they make when you walk and also the fact that I have tripped out of them way too many times to count.
I fell down the Poshmark rabbit hole and found a pair of Birkenstock Gizeh sandals for a steal at just $25. I scooped them up in April and I had been wearing them daily.
I wear them around the house all day. I wear them when I leave to do kid camp pick-up. I wear them when I run out to the grocery store. The pair I got are a pretty shiny silver and I’ve been wearing them with everything. I typically wear an 8.5 – 9 in shoes depending on the brand and fit, so I tried a EU 39 in Birkenstocks and they fit perfectly. The strap goes a bit higher on your foot, so there are no SLAP sounds and I haven’t fallen out of them once.
After loving my Gizeh sandals for a few months, I decided to peruse the Birkenstock website to find a pair in a darker brown leather.
And that is when I saw the Mayari style. They are still a slip-on sandal, but they have a crisscross over the big toe and an extra strap around the middle of the foot. After going back and forth, I ended up with the Birko-Flor version in Graceful Toffee for $99.95. Here is the whole ‘Graceful’ color series on the Birkenstock website. They also have the same style in a different color on the Nordstrom website here and here is a pretty rose gold pair on Amazon.
Shoe details:
- The upper is made from Birko-Flor, a synthetic leather.
- It has an anatomically shaped cork-latex food bed with suede lining.
- Both straps are individually adjustable, so you can get your perfect fit.
I recommend adjusting the straps a smidge too tight when you first start wearing them, rather than too loose. This allows the straps to shape perfectly to your foot over the first few hours of wearing.
Right out of the box, I found these super comfortable and they didn’t need any break-in time at all. In fact, I’ve been wearing my Mayari sandals nonstop for the last week and they are incredibly comfortable. The Graceful Toffee color has a little bit of a sparkle/sheen to it, so Travis says they look like my fancy Wonder Woman shoes. Which is totally my aesthetic.
If you have been thinking about trying Birkenstocks, I do recommend ordering your first pair from somewhere with free shipping and free returns (like the Nordstrom website or some Amazon sellers). However, once you know your proper size, check out Poshmark because there are dozens and dozens of listings!
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I bought my first pair of birks when pregnant with my almost 5-year old daughter (silver madrid). I am still wearing those, and they still look good! I’d love to pick up another pair on the cheap. I’ll check out Poshmark!
I found your blog while trying to figure out if people are having the same issues as me. The toe strap on one of my new shoes is way too tight. The other is perfect, right out of the box, as you said yours were (I got the Mayari too). I even loosened the right top/front strap to the first hole and it’s still tight, while the left is still perfect. I’m not sure if I should return these and get another pair.
Hmm… if it is still not fitting correctly when you adjust it, I think I’d return them and try again with a different pair! Mine were super comfy right out of the box and as I’ve worn them have only gotten more comfortable.